Book .Ha. 5- 

Gopyriglrt)J° 

COPmiGHT DEPOSn> 



Commentary on the 
Acts of the Apostles 



BY 

Rev. G. A. McLaughlin, D. D. 

AUTHOR OF COMMENTARIES ON THE FOUR GOSPELS, "A LIVING 
SACRIFICE." "INBRED SINS." "A CLEAN HEART." "OLD 
WINE IN NEW BOTTLES," "SAVED AND KEPT." 
"THE VINE AND BRANCHES." "THE 
PROMISED GIFT." ETC. 



I915 

THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS COMPANY 
CHICAGO 



Copyright 191 5 
By 

The Christian Witness Co. 



JUL --2 1915 

©C1.A401631 



Preface 



An eminent ecclesiastical authority* has said concerning Holi- 
ness as found in the Word of God, ' ' It breathes in the prophecy, 
thunders in the law, murmurs in the narrative, whispers in the 
promises, supplicates in the prayers, sparkles in the poetry, re- 
sounds in the songs, speaks in the types, glows in the imagery, 
voices in the language and burns in the spirit of the whole scheme, 
from its Alpha to Omega, from its beginning to its end. Holiness! 
Holiness needed! Holiness required! Holiness offered! Holiness 
attainable! Holiness a present duty, a present privilege, a present 
enjoyment, is the progress and completeness of its wondrous theme! 
It is the truth glowing all over, webbing all through revelation; 
the glorious truth which sparkles and whispers and sings and 
shouts in all its history and biography and poetry and prophecy 
and precept and promise and prayer; the great central truth of 
the system. The wonder is, that all do not see, that any rise up 
to question a truth so conspicuous, so glorious, so full of comfort. ' ' 
Another authority t has written a book to show that Holiness is 
**the central idea of Christianity." This fact, however, is not 
generally recognized or admitted among the commentators. Holi- 
ness seems to many to be a matter of incidental mention in the 
Scriptures, and many commentators succeed very well in concealing 
it, or in those marked passages that teach it, treat it so indefi- 
nitely as to make it intangible and misty. Hence this commen- 
tary, which attempts to reveal Holiness (either in theory or prac- 
tice) in every verse, claims the right of existence. Most of the 
early commentaries were written from a Calvinistic standpoint, 
which denied the possibility of living free, either from original 
sin or actual transgression; asserting that Christ cannot or will 



*Bishop Foster. 
tBishop Peck. 



3 



4 



PREFACE 



not cleanse and keep from sin, but that this friendly work must 
be performed by our enemy, Death; or, if some have admitted that 
Christ can perform the work, they have denied that the Great 
Physician could or would cure until we were removed from the 
baneful atmosphere of this sinful world. 

Arminian commentators have been affected, Vith but few 
exceptions, with this unscriptural, dogmatic taint. As we study 
both Calvanistic and Arminian authorities, we many times notice 
passages where, to be true to the Scripture, they unconsciously 
drop their theology, and clearly and explicitly declare the possi- 
bility of being cleansed from all sin. If any reader shall say, as 
we quote from these authorities, that we do not represent their 
thoughts as they themselves intended, we reply, that we represent 
at least Adam Clarke, John Wesley and some others correctly, and 
that other writers were obliged to state their opinions as they did 
or be unfaithful to Scripture, and we quote some of them to show 
the inconsistency of any system that represents Jesus Christ as a 
perfect Saviour, and at the same time theoretically denies his 
power to heal the malady of sin, at the very time of the sickness. 
In the treatment of the miracles of Christ, commentators have 
been obliged to consider the healing of the body as a type of the 
healing of the soul, or get no spiritual lessons from these events. 
But in so doing, complete, instantaneous faith-cures of the body 
have been represented as symbols of the same cures wrought upon 
the souls of men. It is impossible to find a commentator who seeks 
to convey spiritual teaching from the cure of lepers, who does 
not state the anti-type of soul-healing as clearly and unequivocally 
as we could wish. We call especial attention to the treatment of 
the healing of leprosy by nearly all the commentators, who state 
clearly and positively that Jesus can cleanse from the leprosy of 
sin. As leprosy is universally accepted as a type of sin, its cure 
must therefore be accepted a« a type of the cure of sin. A large 
part of the cures of Christ must have a spiritual interpretation, 
or none at all that shall be of any spiritual profit to us. Happily 
we are not left in doubt as to this question. Jesus interpreted to 
us many of his miracles, and thus gave us the principle of inter- 
preting miracles spiritually. (See John 6:27-64; 9:39-41; Luke 
5:1-10.) Our view of the great and underlying thought of the 



PREFACE 



5 



Scriptures is further substantiated by all or nearly all those 
grand passages which tell us the end and aim of the Bible. 
(See Psalms 119:1-4, 9, 11; John 15:3; 17: 17; Eph. 5:26; 2 Tim. 
3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:4, and others.) 

It may be objected that the author sees Holiness every where 
in the Scriptures because he is determined to see it there. In reply 
we would say that doubtless the objector may not see it there, 
because he does not wish to see it. The scribes and Pharisees, 
who were certainly as well acquainted with the text of the Old 
Testament as any of the modern divines or scholars, did not recog- 
nize the portraits of Jesus of Nazareth in those writings at all. 
"We would say still further that the great proof of the inspiration 
of the Scriptures is in the power and privilege of proving them 
true by experience, if we come candidly to Jesus seeking to know 
and do his will. The doctrines of the new birth and the witness 
of the Spirit, as taught in the Scriptures, have been proved true 
again and again in human lives. And the testimonies to this effect 
are accepted in the Church today. The doctrine of the baptism 
of the Holy Spirit, a work subsequent to conversion, whereby the 
heart is cleansed from all sin, is just as clearly testified to by the 
saints from all the denominations, men and women of sober judg- 
ment, scholarly wisdom and consistent lives. 

Lastly. This commentary is not written polemically, or with 
any desire to reflect on anybody or anything but sin. It is written 
to assist that large and growing body of believers whose under- 
standing, through experience of these truths, has been opened to 
see these things; who have found, since their baptism of love, that 
the Bible is a new book; who have the new Bevised Version by 
the latest and best of the revisers — the Holy Spirit. 

CONCERNING THE BOOK OF ACTS. 

The Acts of the Apostles is the sequel to the four gospels. 
Without it the story of salvation would not be complete. Jesus 
lived such a wonderful life, spoke such wonderful words, died 
such a tragic death, and arose so marvellously from the grave, 
that we naturally would like to know more, as to the results of his 
kingdom on earth. The foundations of his kingdom were laid 



6 



PREFACE 



under such unfavorable conditions; his death "by crucifixion 
naturally brought so much contumely and disgrace to his cause, 
that we naturally desire to know whether, and how, his kingdom 
would go on. Would its progress be arrested? Would men be 
willing to follow the standard of the shameful cross? We naturally 
would look to see the results of his life and atonement upon the 
world. 

The four gospels show how his kingdom began. The Book 
of Acts shows how it was carried on. In the gospels he is acting 
in bodily manifestation. In the Book of Acts he is still acting, but 
through his church. 

Luke in his gospel tells us of Jesus' promising the Holy Ghost 
to his disciples. (Luke 11:13.) In the Book of Acts, Luke (who 
is the author) tells how, when and where, the Holy Ghost was 
poured upon these disciples and the results. We might call Luke's 
gospel, the record of disciples in the experience of the first bless- 
ing — regeneration, Luke's second book, the Book of Acts, the 
record of the experience of the disciples enjoying "the second 
blessing. ' ' 

This narrative by Luke tells how entirely sanctified preachers 
spread the gospel so marvellously, during the next third of a 
century after the death of Jesus, until it went all over the known 
world. It is the model book for the study of an earnest ministry. 

The greater part of the book is given to the labors and experi- 
ence of St. Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles. It shows what 
God can do with a really consecrated man. 



CHAPTER I. 



BRIDGING OVER TWO DISPENSATIONS. 

The Relation of the Dispensation of The Son to That of the Spirit 
of Holiness. Vs. 1-5. Carnal Notions Corrected. Vs. 6-11. 
Waiting for the Spirit of Holiness. Vs. 12-14. Filling Up the 
Number of Apostles. Vs. 15-26. 

THE RELATION OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE SON TO 
THAT OF THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS. Vs. 1-5. 

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that 
Jesus began both to do and teach, 

2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through 
the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he 
had chosen : 

3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by 
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking 
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God : 

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that 
they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of 
the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 

5 For John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized 
with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

There are three great dispensations — the Dispensation of the 
Father, closing with the death of John the Baptist, the last prophet 
of that dispensation and the Dispensation of the Son — Jesus 
Christ, commencing at the death of John the Baptist (This was 
a short dispensation of about three years, but centuries were 
crowded into it), and the Dispensation of the Spirit of Holiness. 
The latter is also called the Gentile Dispensation because its 
truths are more specifically directed to the Gentiles, as God's 
chosen people, the Jews, had rejected him and he had rejected 
them. The work of the first and second dispensations was directed 
to the Hebrew nataon, with a few Gentile proselytes. The work 



7 



8 



COMMENTARY ON 



of the Third Dispensation is directed to the Gentiles with but a 
few Hebrew proselytes so far. 

We have purposely entitled this section "The relation of the 
Dispensation of the Son to that of The Spirit of Holmess, ' ' for two 
reasons. 1. This is one of the names given the Third Person of 
the Trinity. (See Eom. 1:4.) We get so accustomed to the term, 
Holy Spirit, that we fail to take in its significance. The Holy 
Spirit is so called not because the other persons of the Trinity are 
not holy, but because it is his work to make men holy. He is 
* * the executive of the God-head ' ' for the work of holiness. Hence 
Paul calls him *'The Spirit of holiness." 2. This commentary 
professes to be written to show that the Bible is full of holiness. 
Consequently, we use this term here. 

We believe St. Luke was the author of the Book of Acts (See 
our introduction). The former treatise to which he refers is the 
Gospel according to St. Luke as that is also dedicated to the same 
person, Theophilus. (See our Commentary on St. Luke, Chap. 
1:1-4.) The word, Theophilus means Lover of God. Hence, some 
have thought this was not a real person but the book was dedicated 
to all lovers of Gx>d in general. But it seems to us that Theophilus 
was a real person. In the Gospel of St. Luke he calls him ''most 
excellent. ' ' 

St. Luke was a layman -vvTiting to laymen — Theophilus — hence 
the Eoman Catholic assertion that the Bible was written only to 
be read by priests falls to the ground as a palpable error. St. 
Luke was an educated man. He writes, both his Gospel and the 
Book of Acts, in an elegant literary style. 

In the former treatise (The Gospel of Acts) he gives the most 
systematic account of the life of Jesus that we have. He gave an 
account of ' ' all that Jesus hegam, to do and teach. ' ' In the Book 
of Acts he gives an account of what Jesus continued to do through 
his church. The Book of Acts may be called ''The Acts of Jesus- 
Through His Church. ' ' Jesus had said, ' ' Lo, I am with you always 
even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20.) Some have 
called it ' ' The Acts of the Holy Ghost. " So he gives the life 
of Jesus up to his ascension, as we may see by consulting Luke 
24:50-51. In verses 2-9 he gives some additional facts not 
recorded in Luke 24:50-53. It will be well for students of this 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



9 



passage to compare these two passages. Luke here tells us that 
Jesus, on the day in which he was taken up, gave commandments 
to the disciples. He refers doubtless to the commandments given 
in his talks with the disciples recorded in Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 
16:14-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23, and John 21:15-17. 

Jesus had shown himself alive to them nine different times 
after his resurrection (See John 20:11-18; I Cor. 15:5; Mark 
16:12, 13; Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-23; John 20:24-29; John 
21:1-24; Matt. 28:16-17; Matt. 28:18-19, and Acts 1:3-12). These 
occurrences fully established the truth of the resurrection of Jesus, 
and also the religion of Jesus. For the resurrection of Jesus is 
the great proof of the truth of Christianity. 

These occurrences all took place within forty days. And this" 
being true, we know that the disciples tarried in prayer about ten 
days, for the promised gift of the Spirit of Holiness, because 
Pentecost was fifty days after the Passover, at which time Jesus 
was crucified. To be a little more exact, the time of waiting is 
less than ten days, for we must take account of the fact of the 
three days that Jesus laid in the tomb. Strictly speaking then, 
the disciples prayed about seven days before Pentecost in the upper 
room. During these forty days he was busy explaining to them 
more fully concerning the kingdom of God. He had taught them 
much elementary truth concerning the kingdom during his ministry 
by parables. He probably now taught higher branches of the 
kingdom. We now have the account of his last interview with 
them. This account also is given in Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:50-53. 

Jesus told these disciples that they must not depart from 
Jerusalem until they had received ''The promise of the Father." 
What was the promise of the Father? Did he make only one 
promise? or was there a promise that overtopped the others to such 
an extent that it was called * ' the promise of the Father ' ' 1 There 
were two great promises under the Old Dispensation — the gift of 
the Son of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit. These were the 
two great promises of the Old Testament that included everything 
else of blessing. The first ' * promise of the Father ' ' — had already 
been given in the life, teachings, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus 
Christ. "The promise of the Father" which had not yet been 
fulfilled was the Holy Spirit as the birth right of all believers. 



10 



COMMENTARY ON 



This promise is found in Isaiah 44:3j Ezekiel 36:27, and Joel 
2:28-32, and also hj John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testa- 
ment prophets. (Matt. 3:11.) Under the Old Testament Dispen- 
sation, the Holy Spirit had come upon a few who were filled with 
the Spirit for special duty as kings, priests and prophets. But 
now he was to come upon all believers who should seek him. 

Jesus told them that they had heard of this promise from 
himself. He had been talking to them about the Spirit (See Luke 
11:13; John 7:39; Chapters 14-16), all through his ministry, but 
the promise made by the Father had not yet been fulfilled. 

They were to wait for its fulfillment. It was no use for them to 
start out to take the world and build the kingdom of God until 
they had received the fullness of the Spirit. And we can see no 
use for preachers today to try to build the spiritual kingdom — the 
real kingdom of God without the same equipment. Since this is 
what God provided for all (chapter 2:17) no man has a riglit to 
preach the Gospel without it. Education, culture and human wis- 
dom (proper in their place) are no substitute for it. ''Wait!" 
We can almost hear impetuous Peter say, ' ' There is so much to 
do; so many dying in sin; had we not better get at the proclama- 
tion of the truth at once ? ' ' No, there is such a thing as too 
much haste and there is a waiting that is no delay. The workman 
needs his tools; the soldier needs his equipment, and any going 
forth until these are furnished is time thrown away. The way to 
gain time and make it count is to wait for the promise of the 
Father. 

Then let us notice who these men were. They were the only 
followers he had to leave behind him. Strange infatuation of some 
who, to maintain a theory, assert that these were unregenerate men. 
Jesus had already said to his Father that he had kept them and 
none of them was lost, (John 17:12) and he had given them 
power to cast out devils, and devils were subject to them. It is 
a sin then to say that they were unsaved. If Jesus insisted that 
Nicodemus should be born again before Pentecost, he certainly 
could not be satisfied to have his chosen disciples unregenerate. 
If Nicodemus could be born again before Pentecost then those 
disciples surely could. To say that Jesus was with them three 
years and could not leave a single convert behind him is a ridiculous 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



11 



conclusion. We cannot believe that this outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit was upon unrenewed sinners, became the Bible noivhere asTcs 
unrenewed sinners to seeTc s^^ch an experience. These men liad 
already come into intimate experience and acquaintance with the 
Holy Spirit, such as sinners could not enter. (See John 14:17 
and John 20:22.) But they had not yet received him in his 
fullness. 

John the Baptist had preached the two baptisms — one by him- 
self with water and one by Jesus with the Holy Spirit, and now 
Jesus himself preaches the two. So we have these two great 
preachers declaring the two experiences. Let us note what the 
baptism of John signified, prefacing our inquiry with this state- 
ment that whatever was received in the preaching of John (whether 
regeneration or not) these disciples had it, for they were converts 
and disciples of John when Jesus called them to be his disciples. 
Let us note then (1) Baptism means cleansing. That is the mean- 
ing of the word, and the use of water in baptism symbolizes 
cleansing. Baptism signifies the cleansing of the one baptized. 
We are prepared to show that it symbolized that the baptized 
person was cleansed from all his sins, so that he no longer com- 
mitted sin. He led a clean life. (2) The baptism of John meant 
that whosoever was baptized by John had embraced the faith and 
doctrine that John preached. (3) The doctrines that John 
preached; (a) Repentance (Mark 1:4). (b) Confession of sin 
(Mark 1:5). (c) Faith in Jesus (John 3:36; Acts 19:4). (d) 
Eegeneration or eternal life (John 3:36). (e) The knowledge of 
salvation (Luke 1:77). These are the experiences that are com- 
prised in the com.plex word. Conversion, and there is nothing more 
radical comprised in the preaching of conversion today. These 
disciples had been the disciples of John. This is where and when 
they were converted; and thus Jesus called not sinners, but con- 
verted men to be his first preachers, and Jesus now calls them to 
their second baptism — the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Sinners 
are nowhere in the Bible called to receive the Holy Ghost. For 
these various reasons these men were not sinners. 

The Baptism and filling of the Spirit are not exactly the same, 
for baptism means cleansing, and filling is another entirely differ- 
ent thing. But it is impossible to fill a heart in which there is sin. 



12 



COMMENTARY ON 



Hence, it must be cleansed or it cannot be filled. As these disciples 
are told that they should be baptized with the Holy Ghost not 
many days hence, we must conclude that the filling that took place 
a few days later, and the baptism also took place at the same time. 

The reader must not fail to note the first word of verse 5. It 
is *'For." It is used as causal, having almost the same meaning 
as because. Jesus states the reason why he speaks of the baptism 
with the Holy Ghost, because John baptized with water, which did 
not complete salvation, and because John began the work of salva- 
tion, it must be completed by adding the baptism with the Holy 
Ghost. It is an important truth that what God begins he will 
finish. He who begins a good work in us in regeneration will com- 
plete it if we will allow it. It is not compulsory — against our will. 
But he has made plans to entirely sanctify every regenerate soul. 
Note then the two baptizers — Jesus and John. Notice the two 
baptisms — one by water, denoting a clean external life, the other 
by the Holy Ghost, making a clean inward life. 

CAENAL NOTIONS CORRECTED. Vs. 6-11. 

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, 
saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to 
Israel? 

7 And he said unto them. It is not for you to know the times or 
the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and 
in all Judaia, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he 
was taken up ; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went 
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel ; 

11 Which also said. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up 
into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, 
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

How hard it has always been to get men to grasp spiritual 
truths. Jesus had been with them three years and had tried to 
have them see that he had come to set up a spiritual kingdom. 
They still thought he was to set up the same old Jewish temporal 
kingdom. And they did not see how, having been rejected and 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



13 



crucified by the Jews, he could set it up at this time. It looked 
incredible. There is a class of church members today who, on ac- 
count of indwelling sin, are unable to grasp the spiritual nature of 
religion. To them it is outward performance and ceremony and 
not an inward spiritual life. 

Jesus replies to their request, "It is not for you to know the 
times and seasons. ' ' Abbott says, ' * The times are the succession 
of ages, greater or less in length, over which the history of the 
church should extend, before the end comes; the seasons are the 
successive phases of development, through and by means of which 
it should grow to its development." This is a rebuke to those 
who set the time of Christ's second advent, for God the Father 
has put that in his own power alone. 

He tells them that they should receive power when the Spirit 
of Holiness came upon them. There are many vague and misty 
notions as to what that power was. Some claim it was power to 
work miracles. But this cannot be true, for they had already been 
working miracles ; and as far as we know they worked more miracles 
in healing the sick, casting out devils, etc., before Pentecost than 
after. 

Some have thought this power was a sort of spiritual electricity 
with which we are surcharged like a storage battery, or like water 
stored up in a reservoir. 

But these are mistaken notions. The power they received at 
Pentecost was the power to be efficient witnesses, for the next clause 
adds ' ' and ye shall be witnesses unto me. ' ' By receiving the 
Spirit of Holiness, they were fully qualified to testify, and no 
witness is fully qualified to testify for Jesus until he receives the 
Holy Ghost. When the government administers the oath to wit- 
nesses it clothes them with authority. In like manner God clothes 
his witnesses with authority when they receive the baptism with 
the Spirit of Holiness, and such testimony makes impressions on 
men and forces them to some kind of a decision. This power re- 
ceived at Pentecost is two fold. 1. It is the power of a holy life. 
The great blessing and power of Pentecost was purification of 
heart. This may be seen by the study of Acts 15:9, which tells 
us that the disciples at this time were purified in heart, for Peter 
says so. The greatest power in the world is that of a holy life. 



14 



COMMENTARY ON 



It was the pure life of the early church that gave them such power 
among men. They lived every day as if Christ was coming. ThiB 
is superior to all eloquence or talent. 2. The Holy Ghost accom- 
panies the testimony of such people and works in men's hearts as 
they hear it. A holy life back of a witnessing tongue is the great 
power that accompanies the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Their 
testimony in a few generations shook and took the known world. 

Notice the order of the progress of the Gospel in verse 8. 
"Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the utter- 
most part of the earth. ' ' This was exactly the ease. So much so 
that this has been called ''The Table of Contents of the Book of 
Acts. ' ' The Gospel was witnessed to by them first in Jerusalem 
and in all Judea, and the account of this is given in chapters 1 to 
8. In chapter 8, we have the account of the testimony in Samaria. 
An.d the rest of Acts tells how it was testified to the uttermost 
part of the world of that day, and it is still going on in all the 
world. 

Verse 8 contains the last recorded words of Jesus. Last words 
of departed friends are always precious. And if we love them 
we seek to carry out their last wishes. Before Jesus went to 
Gethsemane and the cross, he prayed that these men might be 
sanctified and now he speaks on the subject as he is about to step 
aboard the cloudy chariot. Certainly this fact ought to impress us 
Avith the importance of this great subject and if we love Jesus 
we will be intensely interested in it. How can any one think they 
love Jesus and fight this great blessing? We delight to think that 
his last best thought for us was holiness. 

His earthly ministry was ended with the promise of the 
baptism with the Spirit of Holiness, and a chariot of cloud re- 
ceived him out of their sight. Some think it was a cloud of 
angels. Others think it was the Shechinah, which overshadowed 
the tabernacle and temple. He will come again some day in a 
cloud. (See Rev. 1:7, 14:14.) Mark says, ''He was received 
up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. ' ' Abbott says 
of the ascension: "It is an almost necessary sequel of the resur- 
rection, since after the resurrection Christ must have either have 
ascended into heaven or lived a hidden life, and subsequently died 
a natural death. ' ' He carried his glorified resurrected body to 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



15 



heaven and is there the representative of our humanity, to inter- 
cede as the Great High Priest for us. 

They stood gazing up into vacancy, there stood two men in 
vrhite apparel — rather angels in the form of men. They had seen 
angels at the sepulchre on the morn of the resurrection. Angels 
announced the fact of the resurrection so there need be no mis- 
take, and now they announce the fact that he had gone into heaven. 
There is a place called heaven somewhere, as we see by this an- 
nouncement. And there the man Jesus is, waiting to appear to 
the world the second time. His second advent will not be like the 
first, lowly and obscure, but with power and glory. 

There are those who attempt to make his second coming only a 
spiritual coming. But this announcement teaches that it will be 
in like maimer as his ascension — personal, literal and visible, ac- 
companied by his holy angels. The angels asked them why they 
stood gazing up into heaven. Their business now was to be getting 
ready for the Comforter — the Spirit of Holiness. The angels, no 
doubt, asked them this question to recall them to their great busi- 
ness for the next ten days — waiting for the Holy Spirit. Our great 
business until he comes again is not star-gazing nor setting the 
time, but it is to be sure we get the baptism with the Spirit of 
Holiness and make a business of urging others to get it. This is 
the true way of looking for Jesus and heeding his last words. 
The true adventist is not the one simply championing the doctrine 
without the experience of holiness, but he who is possessed of that 
''holiness without which no m.an shall see the Lord." 

WAITING FOE THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS. Vs. 12-14. 

12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called 
Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. 

13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper 
room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, 
Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of 
Alphseus and Simon Zelotes and Judas the brother of James. 

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and suppli- 
cation, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his 
brethren. 

So they returned to Jerusalem, which was a Sabbath day's 
journey distant — 2,000 cubits, about a mile, and went into an 



16 



COMMENTARY ON 



upper room, where the eleven apostles were lodging. We say 
lodging, because Peter had a house of his own (Mark 1:27). It 
was the custom of the Jews to retire to the upper room of a house 
to pray. It may have been the very upper room where Jesus cele- 
brated the passover with them. 

They had nothing else on hand but to pray for the Holy Spirit, 
for Jesus had told them to wait until they received the Spirit. 

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplica- 
tion." It is important to know just how they prayed, for if we 
know that, we may know how to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit 
through prayer. 1. They persevered. The word "continued" 
literally means persevered steadfastly. There is much prayer for 
the Holy Ghost that is spasmodic and does not go clear through. 
2. They were united in their hearts. The Greek word rendered 
''one accord" means "unity in fervor" or "zeal." It was more 
than a modern "Union meeting." It was more than unity of 
the lips, or harmony in doctrine. It was unity of fervor and 
desire of heart for the blessing. 

Let us notice who they were, because some people have thought 
they were of a sublime nature, being apostles, and did not have to 
contend with the same fallen nature as we do. But they had the 
same carnal nature that people have today. There was Peter who 
had denied Jesus, but had been restored at the Sea of Galilee 
(John 21:15-23) and had been commissioned to feed the flock of 
God. There were James and John, who had exhibited unholy 
ambition in seeking place and pre-eminence in his kingdom. The 
whole of them had shown their weakness of faith in the storm on 
Galilee and on many other occasions. Then there were the women. 
Jesus had had to rebuke his mother. (Luke 2:49; Luke 8:31; 
John 2:4.) Mary Magdalene out of whom he had cast seven 
devils was doubtless one, also. There was Martha who had an ill 
feeling towards Mary. The brethren of Jesus were also in the 
meeting. (Luke 10:40.) Once their infidelity would not let them 
believe on Jesus. (John 7:5.) They evidently had been con- 
verted. The resurrection had evidently converted them. Mary, 
the mother of Jesus, was here and prayed with them and they did 
not pray to her as the Roman Catholic church teaches. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



17 



FILLING UP THE NUMBEE OF THE APOSTLES. Vs. 15-26. 

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, 
and said, (the number of names, together were about an hundred and 
twenty, ) 

16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been ful- 
filled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before con- 
cerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 

17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this 
ministry. 

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity ; 
and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels 
gushed out. 

19 And It was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem ; insomuch 
as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, 
The field of blood. 

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be 
desolate, and let no man dwell therein : and his bishoprick let another 
take. 

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the 
time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that 
he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with 
us of his resurrection. 

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was 
surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 

24 And they prayed, and said. Thou, Lord, which knowest the 
hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from 
which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 

26 And they gave forth their lots ; and the lot fell upon Matthias ; 
and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 

The prayer meeting commenced with eleven (Vs. 13) and in- 
creased to 120. It seems from 1 Cor. 15:6 that there were 500 
followers of Jesus, 120 of whom had come to the daily prayer 
meeting. Peter commences a speech with a confirmation of the 
supernatural origin of the Psalms, for he quotes from Psalm 41:9, 
saying that the Holy Ghost spoke in the Psalm through the mouth 
of David. In spite of the attacks of modern destructive criticism 
we must believe with Peter that the Holy Ghost inspired the 
Psalms. While Judas fulfilled prophecy, he was not compelled 
thereby to do wrong. The prophecy simply foretold, but did not 
cause it. If Peter had been like modern fanatics he would have 



18 



COMMENTARY ON 



railed at Judas and called him hard names and epithets, but he 
left God to judge him. 

There has been some discussion as to the apparent discrepancy 
between Peter's account of the end of Judas and that of Matthew 
(Matt. 27:5). But this discrepancy is easily harmonized thus: 
Judas probably hung himself on a tree overlooking the valley. The 
rope broke and he fell and was dashed upon the rocks below, and 
his bowels gushed out. An ordinary fall would hardly have done 
it. Peter uses the language of sarcasm, as he says Judas pur- 
chased for himself. He did purchase it for himself ; to die a 
horrible death in it. 

Peter then proposes that some one be elected to fill the place 
left vacant by Judas' death. There has been an assertion made 
by some that this was an unwarranted act of Peter, but those who 
assert it have given no good reason for such assertion. An apostle 
was one set apart from the band of disciples. An apostle was one 
who had seen the Lord. So Paul's words teach (See 1 Cor. 9:1). 
Jesus chose twelve apostles from his disciples to be with him. 
There were many disciples, but only twelve apostles. This number 
was the foundation of the Christian church and was in accordance 
with the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, who were the f ounda- 
tion of the Old Testament church. The number twelve needed to 
be complete. There was a difference of opinion as to who should 
be chosen. Two men were proposed. And in order to settle the 
disagreement they resorted to the casting of lots. This was a 
favorite method among the Jews. Lots were cast in the choosing 
of the scape goat and in dividing the land of Canaan when the 
Israelites took possession of it. They prayed that God would direct 
in the casting of the lot. This was in harmony with scripture. 
Solomon says, * ' The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing 
is of the Lord. ' ' (Prov. 16 :33.) W© believe these disciples prayed 
and the Lord directed in the choice of Matthias. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE BLESSING RECEIVED. 

I. The Promise of the Father Realized. Vs. 1-13. The Sermon 
of Peter. Vs. 14-36. The Effect of the Outpouring of the 
Spirit and the Sermon, on the Outade World. Vs. 37-41. 
Effect of the Outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church. 
Vs. 42-47. 

THE PKOMISE OF THE FATHER REALIZED. Vs. 1-13. 

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all 
with one accord in one place. 

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rush- 
ing mig^hty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, 
and it sat upon each of them. 

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to 
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out 
of every nation under heaven. 

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, 
and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in 
his own language. 

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to an- 
other, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we 
were born? 

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Blamites, and the dwellers in Mesopo- 
tamia, and in Judsea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya 
about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues 
the wonderful works of God. 

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to 
another, What meaneth this? 

13 Others mocking said. These men are full of new wine. 

The day of Pentecost had now come (A. D. 30, May 28). 
Thank God for that day of Pentecost. But for Pentecost this 



19 



20 



COMMENTARY ON 



wicked world would have destroyed itself. It was called Pentecost 
because it was the fiftieth day after the beginning of the Pass- 
over. (The word Pentecost is the Greek meaning fiftieth.) So 
much of Jewish life and customs was contained in it that it was 
called by several names. It was called The Feast of Weeks be- 
cause it was a week of weeks, or seven weeks from the Passover. 
It was called the Feast of Harvest because it was a feast of 
thanksgiving for the harvest. It was called The Feast of First 
Fruits because on this day the Jews offered the first fruits of their 
harvest to God in bread made of the wheat. It also commemorated 
the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, which occurred fifty days 
after the Israelites left Egypt. There is good reason to believe 
it was on Sunday. In the Modern Church, it is called "Whitsuntide, 
or White Sunday, because of the white garments worn by those 
who are baptized on that day. 

Notice some of the conditions here which brought the fire from 
heaven, which if any church follows today it can have the blessing. 
1. They were all there — all out to prayer meeting. Would it not 
astound a modem pastor to see all his flock out to prayer meeting? 
When a church is seeking the fullness with an intensity that brings 
them all out to pray for it, they are a long way towards their 
Pentecost. 2. They were all there with one accord. We have 
shown in Chapter 1, Vs. 14, that the exact translation is with 
united seal. It was not a sleepy, sluggish concern of mind. It 
was a united zeal in seeking the blessing. Such union of the right 
kind of zeal is very effective. God loves to have us fervent in 
our prayers. Mary and Martha were in harmony over the house 
work. James and John were no longer the objects of envy over 
their seeking the first place in the kingdom. All the church were 
united. 3. They were all praying. They made the fullness of the 
Spirit a subject of prayer. 

The Spirit came to purify their hearts (Acts 15:9) suddenly. 
Some in this day teach that purification is by growth and is, there- 
fore, a gradual process. It was not so here ; nor is it so taught in 
the Bible. But the work took place immediately. 

There was a sound "as of a rushing, mighty wind." Some 
people have speculated on whether it was wind or the sound of 
wind. Why not understand it just as it reads? It was a super- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



21 



natural sound, no doubt, to call the attentiou of all Jerusalem to 
what took place. This sound filled all the place where they were. 

There was not only a sound for the ear, but a demonstration 
for the eye — an appearance of tongues of fire resting on the head 
of each. Notice the tongues were not fire, but like fire — ' ' as fire. ' ' 
There was no heat in them, but they symbolized the fact that the 
power of Pentecost was to be in the tongue, making them effective 
witnesses, as Jesus said in Chapter 1:8. This symbol rested not 
on the twelve, but all in the assembly, both male and female. 
Henceforth the mission of the church for all ages was to be testi- 
mony — the witnessing tongue. God calls a few directly to the 
ordained ministry and special pulpit work, but he calls all to be 
witnesses, and Pentecost fully qualifies for testimony. 

''They were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Hitherto under 
the Old Dispensation the Spirit in his sanctifying, energizing power 
had come on only a few, such as kings and prophets who were 
called to some special work, but now the Spirit was to come on 
and fill all of God's people. It was not only the prophets, but all 
the company — the apostles and the 120 (See chap. 1:15). Under 
the Old Dispensation the indwelling of the Spirit seems to have 
been transitory. Now it was to be permanent. This was what 
Moses had desired. (Numbers 11:29.) 

This blessing was called being ' ' filled with the Holy Ghost. ' ' 
The term ''filled" is very expressive. To be filled with anything 
means there is nothing else in that which is filled, not even a 
vacuum. There was, therefore, no sin, no carnal mind in those 
filled with the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 15:9.) The Spirit that 
filled, cleansed all unrighteousness from their hearts by his in- 
coming. 

The result of this filling was, they began to speak. Speaking 
is the accompaniment of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We 
have just said that the special power of Pentecost was to make 
them ef&cient witnesses and they began to exercise their power of 
testimony immediately. Jesus had told them "Out of the abund- 
ance of the heart the mouth speaketh, ' ' and it proved so here. 
Wherever we read of any one being filled with the Holy Ghost, we 
read that they spoke (See Luke 1:41-42, and 66; Acts 5:31; Eph. 
5:18 and 19). Pentecost is the cure for tied tongues. Those who 



22 



COMMENTARY ON 



have had their Pentecost need no human urging to testify for 
Jesus. 

' ' They not only spoke, but they spoke with other tongues. ' ' 
There has been a good deal of question as to whether they spoke 
in different languages or people of different languages were made 
to understand them speaking in their mother tongue. We prefer 
to believe the record as it reads. It was what the hour demanded, 
as all nationalities were represented at Jerusalem, gathered for the 
Passover. And thus the news and gospel message radiated out over 
the known world in a short time. It was not necessary to speak in 
different tongues after Pentecost, because Greek was spoken all 
over the known world at that time. Some have supposed that the 
object of the gift of tongues was to convince the ungodly. Others 
have thought it was to enable them to reach many people. But it 
seems to us it was a symbol, teaching the truth that the gospel 
was to go to all tongues and nations, through testimony, just as 
the fire was a symbol of the tongue as the great instrument of 
declaring the truth, so the many tongues showed that it was to be 
heralded among all nations. 

They ' ' spoke with other tongues. ' ' They talked differently 
after Pentecost, so that people were reached by them that could 
not otherwise be reached. And so will the soul that gets its Pente- 
cost in these days. It will speak with another tongue — entirely 
different and will reach men as never before. 

All that is necessary to show the fallacy of the modern ' ' tongue 
movement" is this: At Pentecost those who heard them, under- 
stood them. It was none of the modern gibberish manifested in 
the tongue movement, understood by no one. Abbott says, ' ' There 
is no authority whatever for the opinion that this gift of tongues 
was bestowed to enable the primitive Christians to preach the 
Gospel in the various languages of the world without learning 
them. Greek was then spoken throughout the civilized world, so 
that such a gift for such a purpose was little needed . 
and in no instance in the New Testament is the gift of tongues 
ever used for preaching the Gospel to those ignorant of that 
language. ' ' 

It seems that the best of the Jews that were scattered among 
the nations had come up to the Passover at Jerusalem and had not 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



23 



yet returned home. They were ' * devout men, ' ' a good deal like 
Simeon, who were waiting for the Messiah, and they gladly re- 
ceived the truth as Peter preached. The fact that over one hundred 
and twenty people were at one time filled with the Holy Ghost 
brought out a great crowd. It would today. Any Spirit-filled 
church will become a center of attraction. It always works that 
way. We pity those preachers who have forgotten or who never 
knew that the Lord wants his servants to preach with the Holy 
Ghost sent down from heaven. Such preaching backed by a church 
filled with the Holy Spirit will always bring out the multitude. 

This multitude were not only amazed to see the demonstrations 
of tongues of fire on the heads of these people, but still more to 
think that these inhabitants of Galilee were able to talk their 
language, and make them understand. It does not mean that 
every Spirit-filled man spoke all the languages, but that ev^y one 
heard some of the crowd speak a language he could understand. 
How different the modern tongue craze that utters sounds and 
calls it the unknown tongue. There is no such thing mentioned in 
the New Testament as the unknown tongue. It is a grievous mis- 
take that our translators have made in so translating some New 
Testament words. 

What did these scores of Spirit-filled people speak? It certainly 
would be very interesting to know. Verse 11 says they told ' ' the 
wonderful works of God. ' ' It must have been his wonderful work 
in their own individual souls. The same Spirit works in those who 
are given up to him today. He cleanses, illuminates, fills, and re- 
veals the truth. Peter's sermon is an illustration of this. How 
the Spirit did reveal truth to Peter! What light Peter had on 
the Scriptures! Hear him quote from the prophets Joel, Isaiah 
and Ezekiel (Vs. 17), and from the Psalms (Vs. 25-27). He never 
preached that way before. No one would ever have imagined him 
thus applying Scripture a few days before. The Holy Spirit made 
him a scriptural preacher. Among other things, the Holy Spirit 
gives light on the interpretation of God's word. 

No wonder they were all amazed. Such a thing had never been 
heard of before in the history of the world as the Holy Spirit being 
poured out on everybody, both prophets and laymen. Hitherto 
only a few — priests, prophets, and kings, had received the fullness 



24 



COMMENTARY ON 



of the Spirit. But now it was to be the gift universal for all 
classes and sexes. No wonder they asked What will this l)e? (This 
is the literal translation.) They meant what will come from this? 

Was there ever a genuine revival that did not provoke opposi- 
tion? There were two classes of people here — the devout men" 
(Vs. 5), who received the truth and were saved that day, and the 
mockers of verse 13. The latter said the disciples were drunk. 
Today they are called fanatics. There is a similarity in some of 
the actions of Spirit-filled men and drunken men. Both spirits — 
the Holy Spirit and alcohol — affect somewhat the physical system, 
more or less. Paul says the fullness of the Spirit results in ' ' speak- 
ing to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing 
and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." Eph. 5:19. 
Much of this a drunken man will do, although the singing may not 
be spiritual. ''New wine." The word in the Greek is gleukos. 
It means literally sweet wine. It is the word from which comes 
our word glucose. The Pentecost came the last of May. The 
grape harvest was not until August. * ' From grapes dried in the sun 
and soaked in old wine a sweet wine was manufactured, which is 
said to have been especially intoxicating." (Jahn's Archeology, 
See. 69.) Hence "to be sweetened" was a Rabbinical equivalent 
for ' ' to be drunk. ' ' And here, ' ' They were full of sweet wine, ' ' is 
equivalent to ' ' They were -very drunk. ' ' 

THE SERMON OF PETER. Vs. 14-36. 

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, 
and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jeru- 
salem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words : 

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is hut the 
third hour of the day. 

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel ; 

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, salth God, I will 
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men 
shall dream dreams : 

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out 
in those days of my Spirit ; and they shall prophesy : 

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the 
earth beneath ; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke : 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



25 



20 The sun shall be turned Into darkness, and the moon into 
blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come : 

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the 
name of the Lord shall be saved. 

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words ; Jesus of Nazareth, a man 
approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which 
God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know : 

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore- 
knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified 
and slain : 

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death : 
because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 

26 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always 
before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved : 

26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad ; more- 
over also my flesh shall rest in hope : 

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou 
suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 

28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life ; thou shalt make 
me full of joy with thy countenance. 

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the partri- 
arch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with 
us unto this day. 

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn 
with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the 
flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne ; 

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that 
his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. 

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having 
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed 
forth this, which ye now see and hear. 

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens : but he saith 
himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God 
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and 
Christ. 

This was the first sermon of the kind ever preached. It vras a 
sermon in the Holy Ghost dispensation, preached by a man once 
sinful, but now filled with the Holy Ghost. It will be noticed that 
this sermon by this Spirit-filled man extolled Jesus. The Holy 
Spirit in us always exalts Jesus. If we think we have the Spirit 
of God and do not exalt Jesus, we are mistaken. 

Peter stood up with the eleven, as one of them. He was one of 



26 



COMMENTARY ON 



and with them, and not one over them as Roman Catholicism will 
have it. He was not pope over the rest of them. He quotes him- 
self, to the elders of the church, as one of them, in his epistle, and 
tells them not to lord it over God's heritage. (See 2 Pet. 5:1-3.) 
Could there be anything more unscriptural or more unreasonable 
than popery? Peter was spokesman, simply the representative of 
others, as all could not speak at once and instruct the people. 
He was not the first pope. He was now addressing the multitude 
who had gathered. 

The first part of the sermon was a defense against the charge 
of drunkenness. He shows that it was impossible for them to be 
drunk at the third hour of the day (nine o'clock in the morning). 
It takes time to get drunk. There is a contrast here. The Lord 
does not have to take time to fill his people. He does it imme- 
diately. Peter takes his text from a passage in the prophet Joel — 
Chapter 2:28-32. This passage speaks of two occurrences — the 
outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the second coming of Christ. 
These two great subjects were in the first Pentecostal sermon. 
Let no man separate them or say that the preaching of either is a 
hindrance to the other. 

''In the last days." This expression is the same as saying, 
* ' In the last dispensation. ' ' It had now begun — the dispensation 
of the Holy Ghost. The length of this dispensation no one knows. 
This quotation of Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, from Joel, shows 
that he believed in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament. 
Notice, Peter does not say, that Joel speaks it, but says, ''Saith 
God. ' ' God spoke through Joel and the other prophets. 

God poured out his Spirit at the beginning of this dispensa- 
tion — of the Holy Spirit. So we do not need any more to pray for 
the Holy Spirit to be sent down from heaven, for he is all about 
us ready to come into our hearts if we will open them. The Spirit 
himself and not his gifts has been poured out. 

Notice the first result of this outpouring is not the power to 
work miracles or to speak in tongues or to exercise brilliant gifts, 
but to prophecy. This is the same thing as qualifying to testify — 
Chapter 1:8. The real power of the Pentecostal baptism is power 
to testify or prophesy. To prophesy is more than the limited idea 
of foretelling events. It means to speak for another. So the 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



27 



great result of the Pentecostal baptism is the power to declare 
divine truth. Cleansing the heart from all sin takes out the un- 
willingness, and cowardice, and the sinful nature which would make 
our lives so inconsistent as to hinder the effect of our words. In 
1 Cor. 14:24-25 we see that prophecy, which is telling what God 
gives us to tell, is the greatest of all gifts. This is the reason Peter 
speaks of it here first of all. He also says it is not confined to 
either sex. But woman, as well as man, may and will give public 
utterance to the truth as revealed to them by God. And what the 
disciples did when first filled with the Holy Ghost — declare '*the 
wonderful works of God," (Vs. 11,) is what God wants all his 
Spirit-qualified people to do. 

This quotation from Joel not only describes the inauguration 
of this last dispensation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but 
shows it is to be completed by the second coming of Christ (Vs. 
19-20). So here, we have the whole dispensation complete, with 
the signs that will precede its end. The dreams and visions are 
revelations of the will of God inferior to his revelation in his word. 
And now that we have a complete Bible, as they had not in 
Apostolic times, it is not necessary for God to speak in visions as 
at that time. 

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the 
Lord in this last great dispensation, here described, shall be saved. 
But there is no promise of any further probation after this dis- 
pensation has passed away. To call upon the name of the Lord 
means to repent and be baptized, as shown in verse 38. It does 
not say we must join some particular church or believe some 
special creed. It was no longer Jews, but all nations could be saved 
if they called upon the name of the Lord. 

Having stated his text he now preaches Jesus. The believer 
who has had his Pentecost is filled with the Holy Spirit, who always 
extolls Jesus. Having told them that whosoever should call on the 
name of the Lord should be saved, he begins to show them that this 
salvation was made possible through the sacrifice and atonement 
of the despised Jesus of Nazareth. The first statement he makes 
is that Jesus was approved of God ''by miracles, wonders and 
signs, which God did by him." Meld says, *'Here we find a 
concise but sublime summary of scriptural teachings relative to 



28 



COMMENTARY ON 



miracles. The scattered rays are here brought to a focus. It is 
expressly asserted (1) that miracles are the immediate work of 
God, in distinction from those events which he brings to pass by 
the immediate efficiency of second causes. (2) That they were 
enabled openly and publicly, when all had opportunity not only to 
witness, but to scrutinize and test them. (3) That they were such 
and so wrought that the people among whom they occurred could 
not but know their existence and character, 'As ye yourselves also 
know.' (4) The purpose was to demonstrate to beholders and all 
others cognizant of them that Jesus Christ was a man approved of 
God. (5) These miracles are important proofs of Christianity. 
By them an obligation was laid on the people to believe in Christ 
and to obey his word. ' ' Thus, by their own personal knowledge of 
the miracles of Jesus, he established the truth of his sermon by 
facts well known to them — the miracles of Jesus. 

God gave his Son to them, but they crucified him. They could 
not have crucified Jesus if God had not permitted it and ordained 
him for a sacrifice. This is another rendering of John 3 : 16, ' ' God 
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, etc. ' ' But 
God released him from the sorrows of death. Death could not hold 
him because he was sinless and it will not be able to hold those in 
the tomb whom he saves from sin. Peter now quotes Psalms 
16:8-11 to prove that the resurrection had been foretold, by David. 
This sermon of Peter is a model in its use of Scripture. He 
proves his points by Scripture. This passage from the Psalms is 
double in its interpretation like many of the Psalms. While, re- 
ferring to David primarily, it also is a prophecy of Christ. ' ' This 
double reference will surely give no trouble to those who believe 
that Christ was a perfect man, and that in his resurrection as in 
his life, he exemplifies in its perfection that experience which is 
imperfectly exemplified in all his saints, and this whether they pre- 
ceded and believed in a Messiah to come, or follow and believe in 
a Messiah who has been revealed." (Abbott.) What David wrote 
here is a description of the comfortable experience of the godly. 
A literal exact translation is thus, ' ' I am accustomed to see the 
Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand that I 
should not be disturbed. ' ' He said that for this reason his heart 
rejoiced (an inward condition) and he was glad (the outward 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



29 



expression) . He says still further, ' ' Mv flesh shall rest in hope. ' ' 
This refers to his present experience of hope for the future, which 
gives present rest of soul. He does not believe the Lord will leave 
his soul in Hades — the place of departed spirits, but will resurrect 
it. The word Hell here is not properly translated, but refers to the 
abode of departed spirits, both good and bad. Gehenna, meaning 
the place of punishment of lost souls, is another Greek word 
entirely. 

' ' Neither will thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. ' ' 
The word translated Iwly one, does not refer to Jesus, but to David. 
It is a word in the Greek never applied to Jesus. It refers to David 
— one of the saints of God. In all ages God has had holy people 
or saints. God will not let his saints see corruption (it is better 
translated — Annihilation), but wiU raise them from the grave. This 
being true of David, was much more so of his greater Son, Jesus 
Christ. So Peter proves the resurrection of Jesus to have been 
as David had prophesied. 

We have been accustomed to regard David as only a psalmist 
or writer of sacred songs, but here we are told that he was a 
prophet. He prophesied (Vs. 31) of the resurrection of Christ. 
He had a prophetic instinct, although he did not understand all 
that the Holy Spirit prophesied through him. 

So Peter shows that Jesus was crucified and arose from the dead 
according to prophecy, and ascended to the right hand of God and 
shed forth this — the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Terse 33 is 
the pith of the whole sermon. 

And now Peter comes to the climax of his sermon in verse 36. 
It is this : The resurrection of Jesus had proved that the despised 
Xazarene was Lord and also King of the Jews, and they had 
killed this one whom God had shown was their Kling and Messiah. 

THE EFFECT OF THE OUTPOUEIXG OF THE SPIRIT AND 
THE SEEMOX OX THE OUTSIDE WOELD. Vs. 37-41. 

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, 
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, 
what shall we do? 

38 Then Peter said unto them, Eepent, and be baptized every one 



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COMMENTARY ON 



of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye 
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all 
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, 
Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized : and 
the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 

The immediate result of the sermon was seen in the conviction 
of the great multitude of thousands. These were not the Jews of 
Jerusalem, but mostly those devout Jews who had come up to the 
Passover to Jerusalem, from all the countries of the known world 
(Vs. 5-11). No doubt many of them had joined in the cry, 
* ' Crucify him, ' ' not knowing any better — having been misinformed 
as to Jesus. It says they ' ' were pricked to the heart. ' ' This 
expression is used twice in the New Testament and a similar ex- 
pression is used in Acts 7:54. The convicting power of the Holy 
Ghost is likened to the piercing through the soul by a sharp instru- 
ment. This is seen in three cases of conviction — that of this multi- 
tude, the conviction of Saul in Acts 9:5, and the conviction of 
the hearers of Stephen. Notice the difference. The Greek v7ords 
in each instance are different. In this instance it says they were 
' ' pricked to the heart ' ' as Peter preached ; when Stephen preached 
it says, ''They were cut to the heart." The worTc of the Spirit 
in conviction was the same, but it was differently received. The 
Spirit worked on different attitudes of heart. In the one ease upon 
those who were only pricked because they did not fight conviction. 
In the case of Stephen's hearers, they were sawn asunder (the 
literal translation) because they rebelled against conviction. The 
Spirit works the same on all hearts, but the manifestations are 
different because the subjects on which he works are different. 
Therefore, do not think the Spirit is not working on your heart 
because the manifestations are not the same as with other people. 

There was little need of exhortation to close up this sermon. 
These honest hearted Jews had received new light and they acted 
up to it immediately. The only question with them was, to know 
how to make matters right with God, whom they had insulted by 
crucifying his Son. It does not take people long to get saved who 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



31 



are honest in yielding to conviction. But what could they do? 
Th&y could not undo the awful deed of the crucifixion of Jesus. 

God has a way of escape for us, even though we cannot undo 
the past. We can repent of our sins, and if we do, we shall receive 
remission (or forgiveness of sins). Eepentance literally means to 
change the mind afterwards. They had been guilty of murdering 
Jesus, the Son of God, thinking him a blasphemer and false Messiah. 
ISTow, after the deed was done, they saw their sin. They changed 
their mind and now saw he was the true Messiah and that they 
had sinned in crucifying him. Eepentance is seen in the prodigal 
coming to himself and changing his attitude of mind as regards sin. 
This change of attitude results in the abandonment of sin and 
restitution and confession. 

He also commanded them to be baptized — not to save them, but 
as the next step that naturally follows repentance. Baptism is 
the public acknowledgment that a soul has repented. 

There are people who try to hide in a crowd and make repent- 
ance general. They acknowledge that all mankind are sinners in 
general, and that the human race needs to repent. But they have 
never made it a personal matter. But God deals with men in- 
dividually. He gets at the crowd by working upon each individual. 
Each one must take the saving medicine for himself. It was not 
enough, that the Jewish nation as a whole, repent of their sins. 
So Peter says, ''Every one of you." Each of us must repent for 
ourselves. Some of the Eoman Catholic missionaries have sprinkled 
with water a multitude of heathen converts en masse. But this was 
not what Peter preached. And they say he was the first Pope. 
This baptism was to be in the name of Jesus Christ, as the only 
hope of their being forgiven. 

"For the remission of sins." We said above that remission 
means forgiveness. It does and it means more. The word remis- 
sion means taking away. Sims, means sins of act, or actual sins. 
The only sense in which acts can be taken away is by taking away 
the guilt and the defilement, for acts can not be taken away after 
they have been committed. The defilement caused by our sinful 
actions, is taken away when we are pardoned, for we are regenerated 
at the same time and the new nature makes love of sin impossible. 
So the love of sin is gone in regenerated people. This is the 



32 



COMMENTARY ON 



washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5). Abbott says remission 
means not only forgiveness but "the entire cleansing of the heart 
from actual sins. ' ' Some theologians call it the cleansing away 
of acquired depravity, which is the result of our sins which we 
have committed. We cannot commit sin without defiling the soul. 
This does not refer to the native inclination to evil with which wo 
all are born, and which is removed only by the second work in 
the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

But in addition to this they should receive the gift of the Holy 
Ghost. This does not mean that repentance and baptism would 
bring the Holy Ghost in his entire cleansing power at the same 
time. For the disciples in the upper room did not obtain the Holy 
Spirit by repentance and baptism, for they were not baptized at 
that time; nor did they at that time receive forgiveness. They 
had been saved for a long time, and baptized, without doubt, under 
the ministry of John the Baptist. Peter is showing these inquirers 
how to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He wanted to get them 
to the place where they would be candidates for the second work. 
We have seen sinners properly indoctrinated who were converted 
and then sought and obtained entire sanctification the same day. 
Who will say it was not so here? Notice the gift of the Holy 
Spirit is not the same as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The former 
is himself. The gifts, he brings with him, when he comes into 
the heart to dwell. 

"For the promise is unto you." He refers to the promise of 
the Father in Chapter 1:4, which had been made through Joel, 
Isaiah and Ezekiel. He goes on to declare that the promise of 
the Father was "to you and your children" (the Jews, and to 
then that are afar off, the Gentiles). 

Having finished his sermon and having seekers for salvation he 
now begins to testify and exhort. Every preacher ought to be able 
to do both. He ought to have an experience of salvation, and if 
he does like Peter, he will surely testify. Testimony is getting 
scarce in these days among the preachers. Paul, too, said Jesus 
bad called him to be both a minister and a witness. ' ' Exhortation, 
too, is rare in the modern church. ' ' His exhortation was * ' Save 
yourselves from this untoward generation." The literal transla- 
tion is, Be ye saved. They were to be saved from this croolced 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



33 



generation in which they lived by being saved from its influence 
and from the punishment that was about to be visited upon Jerusa- 
lem in its destruction by the Eomans. We are in an evil world 
today that we need to be saved from. God demands that his people 
shall be separate from this world. Friendship with the world is 
enmity against God. 

Three thousand people right on the spot gave heed to his ex- 
hortation and were saved from the ''crooked generation" by ac- 
cepting his word and repenting of their sins and were baptized 
to show their faith. Eeal repentance will save us from the world. 
It means turning our back upon the nonsense, pleasures and vanities 
of the world. 

These 3,000 souls were added. Our translation says "unto 
them. ' ' But this is not in the original. Verse 47 says * ' the Lord 
added souls." These souls were added to the spiritual body of 
Christ. 

THE EFFECT OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIEIT UPON 
THE CHURCH ITSELF. Vs. 42-47. 

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and 
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

43 And fear came upon every soul : and many wonders and signs 
were done by the apostles. 

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things com- 
mon ; 

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all 
men, as every man had need. 

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 
and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with glad- 
ness and singleness of heart, 

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And 
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 

It is very encouraging to read here that ' ' they continued stead- 
fastly in the doctrine." Doubtless by "all" the original 120 and 
the new converts are here meant. All had received the gift of the 
Holy Ghost and hence were steadfast. Entire sanctification makes 
convCTts steadfast and keeps them from backsliding. It is the 
establishing grace. This work in their hearts was not a temporary 
excitement. They were teachable — they continued in the apostles' 



I 



34 



COMMENTARY ON 



doctrine or teaching. Get your converts entirely sanctified to keep 
them. 

Fanatics will not receive teaching. Such fanaticism as we 
sometimes hear, that ''man cannot teach me. I get my teaching 
from God," was not the case with them or with really humble 
people today. God has ordained teachers in his church, and it is 
fanaticism to say ''man cannot teach me." They continued "in 
the fellowship" of the apostles, too. There is a great deal in the 
fellowship of the saints. We say in the apostle 's creed, ' ' I believe 
in the communion of saints. ' ' One of the marks of genuine salva- 
tion is a love for and a fellowship with the people of God. When 
we get saved we find a family tie with saved people in some 
respects stronger than natural ties. They can understand and 
sympathize with us better than unsaved relations. If we are saved 
we will fellowship that part of the church that believes in the 
prayer, class and holiness meetings. 

No doubt they celebrated the Lord's Supper, for it says they 
continued in "breaking of bread and prayers." Thank God for 
the gift of continuance. Thank God for the gift of continuance 
which is given when people really get the Holy Ghost. 

"Fear came upon every soul." There are two kinds of fear, 
that of the slave and guilty, who fear punishment, and that reveren- 
tial, filial fear which a son feels toward the parent whom he loves. 
At the same time they had gladness mixed with it. (Vs. 46.) 

They had real Christian socialism or communion. Not the abso- 
lute giving up of all property to a common fund, but the giving 
up of property to a common fund as far as it was needed to sup- 
port the poor. This was a purely voluntary giving up of property. 
(See Chapter 5:4.) Each could give up as much or little as they 
pleased. We do not find that it was practiced anywhere else, except 
at Jerusalem, and only at this time when there were many strangers 
present. It was an enlargement of hospitality for the time being. 
Selling all and putting into a common fund and letting all share 
alike is a dangerous doctrine, and an encouragement to the lazy 
and shiftless. So it has usually proven. It is not really the best 
way to help the poor. It often makes their condition worse. 

"With one accord" they met in the temple and broke bread 
from house to house. Here we have the modern idea of cottage 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



35 



prayer meetings established. This was something new in the 
world and worth speaking about, because hitherto, under the 
Jewish economy, religious services were held only in the temple 
and synagogue, and no doubt like many today, people had come to 
think that religion was only for the meeting house. 

Let us notice still further the thought contained in the phrase 
"with one accord." It has been said twice before this (Chapter 
1:4; 2:1). The harmony continued. When Christians get together 
and lay aside all contention, as they did in seeking the blessing, the 
Holy Spirit will burn out the carnal mind, which is the source and 
root of dissension among Christians. Jesus prayed for their sancti- 
fication in order that they might ' ' be one, ' ' and now it was accom- 
plished by their sanctification. Paul said the cause of the strife 
and division in the church at Corinth was because they were ''yet 
carnal. ' ' Carnality, not holiness, makes division. Any church that 
is full of strife and division is not entirely sanctified. Nothing but 
holiness will unite the sects of Christendom. 

They ate their meat (food) with gladness. It was not only 
good for their digestion, but for their souls to mix gladness with 
their eating. The daily meals of Christians ought to be inter- 
spersed with the gladness of salvation. Children ought to be raised 
in such an atmosphere. Parents who know and have such harmony 
are doing more for their children than to leave them a legacy of 
gold and silver. The next place to heaven is a real Christian 
home. Have such a home! Let your children know that the 
Christian religion is not austerity or gloominess! 

* ' Singleness of heart. ' ' Three ingredients were mingled in their 
meals — food, gladness and holiness (singleness of heart). This 
condition of things will make a heaven on earth. The phrase, 
singleness of heart, is remarkable. The word is aphelotes in the 
Greek. It means without a stone. It refers to the soil, unmixed 
with any stones, pure soil. They formerly had the stony heart of 
the carnal mind, but it had been removed at Pentecost, and now 
only the spiritual mind remained. They had become single-minded 
by losing the carnal mind. * * This is the only time this Greek 
word is used in the New Testament. The word had to be coined, as 
it is not found in any classic Greek writers. "A new experience 



36 



COMMENTARY ON 



had eome into the world and the Holy Ghost had to coin a new 
word to express it." (Daniel Steele, D. D.) 

And so the holiness revival went on. One phase of it that always 
is noticed in a revival of holiness is ' ' praising God. ' ' This is the 
way it always works, both in ancient and modern times. 

But no genuine work of God ever goes unimpeded or unopposed. 
One of the proofs of the genuineness of holiness is it always arouses 
the malignant opposition of the devil. This is one of the proofs of 
its divine origin. For the present, however, they had ''favor with 
all the people. ' ' A work of holiness rightly understood always 
wins the favor of men, until it disturbs fossilized ecclesiasticism. 
The greatest enemies of holiness have always been in the pro- 
fessed church, that crucified Jesus, our example of perfect holiness. 
When holiness begins to attack sin, then persecution begins. ''As 
yet, however, persecution may not have arisen. The beauty of 
holiness was perceived and admired by the people, but its severe 
requirements and condemnation of popular sins was not at first 
felt. The spark was allowed to grow into a flame before the blast 
of persecution; the storms did but increase and extend it." 
(Abbott.) 

"And the Lord added daily to the church such as should be 
saved. ' ' Here we have another instance of the insertion of words 
that are not in the original. It should have been translated only 
"The Lord added." He added these souls to himself — to the 
invisible church of the first born. The Lord never adds people 
to the visible church. That is the work of man. They do it them- 
selves. Notice the Lord did the adding. They did not do it them- 
selves. The meaning in the original of the words ' ' such as should 
be saved " is " such as were in the way of salvation. ' ' He never 
adds sinners. There were, no doubt, some hypocrites and some 
self-deceived people. But the Lord did not add them. He added 
only those who were in the way of salvation. 



CHAPTER III. 
HOLY PEOPLE ARE THE BENEFACTORS OF MANKIND. 
In Deed. Vs. 1-11. In Word. Vs. 12-26. 

EST DEED. Vs. 1-11. 

1 Now Peter and* John went up together into the temple at the 
hour of prayer, ieing the ninth hour. 

2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, 
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beauti- 
ful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple ; 

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked 
an alms. 

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look 
ODi us. 

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of 
them. 

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have 
give I thee : In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and 
walk. 

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted Mm up ; and 
immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. 

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them 
into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God : 

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the 
Beautiful gate of the temple : and they were filled with wonder and 
amazement at that which had happened unto him. 

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, 
all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solo- 
mon's, greatly wondering. 

It is impossible to be filled with the Spirit and not be a friend 
and benefactor to others. The blessing of full salvation gives the 
missionary spirit. This is the reason Jesus wanted his disciples 
to tarry until they were endued with this power. A holy heart 
gives us compassion for all the distressed and sorrowing of earth, 
and such people are always seeking to do good in all the walks of 



37 



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COMMENTARY ON 



life. Peter and John going up to the temple to pray could not pass 
by a poor cripple without having compassion upon him, and seeking 
to bless him. It was the natural expression of their holy hearts: 
Let us more fully consider the scene. 

It is not known how soon after Pentecost the events of this 
chapter took place. Peter and John one day went up to the 
temple at the hour of prayer (3 P. M.). Under the Jewish econ- 
omy there were three hours every day for sacrifice and prayer — at 
9 A. M., one at noon and at 3 P. M. It seems to us there ought to 
be no less under the Christian dispensation. While we should 
always be in a prayerful spirit, it is well to have stated hours of 
prayer. Peter and John went to the temple to pray. It had not 
yet dawned on their minds that Judaism was to be replaced by 
Christianity. They had to learn it by degrees and by rough 
experiences. As they were entering the temple they met parties 
carrying a beggar, about forty years of age, who had been lame 
from his birth. This man was laid daily at the gate of the temple 
called The Beautiful Gate. It is not known for certain which 
gate this was. It was probably one of the exterior gates leading 
from the city into the temple. The Jewish law made alms-giving 
a part of religion. We have thought of the great surprise that this 
lame beggar met this day. He came as usual expecting only money 
and went away healed. By accident? No there are no accidents 
with God. He went in the line and direction of divine providence 
and met Peter and John just at the right time. There are no 
little things in the line of divine providence. 

When he asked charity, instead of giving it to him, Peter said: 
"Look on us." He said this to get the man's complete attention 
and arouse his curiosity, and awaken in him an expectation of some- 
thing. Pious Quarles says, ''When thou seest misery in thy 
brother 's face, let him see mercy in thine eye. ' ' Peter said to this 
man, ''Look upon us." Happy is the Christian who, like Peter 
and John, can ask the world to look upon him, because he has, by 
divine grace, something spiritual to bestow. We ought to be so 
full of the Spirit as to be able to bestow something on people we 
meet. God does not call us to heal men's bodies, but we can be 
the channels through which he bestows spiritual gifts. Are we so 
conscious of the divine indwelling as to be able to say unhesi- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



39 



tatingly ' * Look on us. ' ' Here were two kinds of faith — the faith 
that the apostles had in the power they had to bestow, and the 
faith the man had to receive it. These were different degrees of 
faith. The one expected to receive, the other to give. 

Peter said, in answer to his inquiring look, ' ' Silver and gold 
have I none. ' ' What a false estimate we usually put upon real 
blessing. We act as if gold and silver and material blessings are 
the highest good. How many get puzzled at the material prosperity 
of the wicked and are mystified when a righteous man is poor in 
this world 's goods. The trouble with them is they think the highest 
good in this world is money and material prosperity. But the 
righteous have riches of soul that are the true riches in the sight 
of God. This man probably thought, when Peter said this, that 
he was not going to get much, when he was really to receive what 
money could not buy — healing, and which he would not part with 
for money. He was like some people who seek religion with a cheap 
idea of it, but who find that there is more in it than they expected. 

Then again many of us have no money to give people, when we 
might give more sympathy and love than we do, for money can not 
buy love. The poorest of us can give mercy and compassion. 
We can, like Peter and John, say, ' ' Such as I have give I thee. ' ' 
In the great day of accounts we shall be held responsible, not 
because we did not give great amounts, but because we did not the 
things that the poorest can do — visit the sick and afflicted. Blessed 
is the man who in the name of Jesus of Nazareth is ready and 
anxious to give such as he has. Even a cup of cold water in the 
name of a disciple shall not lose its reward. 

Notice the difference between Jesus and his disciples, in the 
methods of working miracles. When Jesus raised the dead young 
man, he said, ' ' Young man, I say unto thee arise. ' ' But Peter did 
not talk thus, because his power was derived. He said, '^In the 
name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk." He asserted in 
the face of the oppositions and contumeley that had been heaped 
upon the despised Jesus of Nazareth that there was power in that 
name. We think that he gloried in so declaring that there was 
power in this despised name of the crucified one, as Paul did in the 
ignominious cross. (Gal. 6 :14.) He was like a man who had made 



40 



COMMENTARY ON 



the discovery of power in a disreputable thing and gloried in the 
privilege of telling it. He joyfully adopts an unpopular name. 

So Peter took him by the right hand to strengthen his faith. 
We can strengthen others faith. We do this in the altar service 
when we pray and urge others to believe on Jesus. Peter strength- 
ened his faith and God strengthened his feet and ankle bones. 

It was an immediate cure. He was aot years in outgrowing his 
weakness. If God can make feet and ankles sound and well in a 
moment, who says he can not make the soul sound in a moment. 
The man commenced to leap and walk at once. Naturally he 
would have had to learn to walk for he had never walked (Vs. 2). 
But his walking shows that it was a miracle. No wonder that he 
leaped. This is natural to a man who has been divinely cured 
either soul or body. Jesus speaks of leaping for joy (Luke 6:23). 
If there were more leaping for joy we think the world would be 
more apt to believe that we had something worth having. Of 
course, the man went into the temple with them. God's house is 
attractive to saved souls and it is a good thing to ' ' enter into his 
courts with praise and into his gates with thanksgiving." 

All the people saw him walking and praising God. He did not 
say, ' ' I will live it and say nothing about it. ' ' But he gave the 
glory to God. So should we in spite of the fact that people say, 
*'Live your religion, but say nothing about it." If our religion 
was of our own manufacture we might well keep still, but as God 
is its author we must give him the glory. The miracles of the 
Bible were done openly. There was no opportunity to deceive the 
people, even if the disciples had so desired. 

Christianity has always had its samples of the power of God. 
For the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that 
believeth. 

''The healed man held Peter and John." He was so full of 
gratitude towards those who had been the means of his cure that 
he wanted to be with them. This is natural and it is right usually 
for converts to want to live in the company of those who were 
instrumental in their salvation. Some churches are great on sort- 
ing fish that others catch, but are unable to catch any themselves. 
Converts generally will keep alive better in the place where they 
were born than anywhere else. So Peter got a congregation. One 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



41 



genuine convert is a greater advertisement of a meeting than a 
town flooded with circulars. 

IN WORD. Vs. 12-26. 

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men 
of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, 
as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to 
walk ? 

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of 
our Fathers, hath glorified Ms Son Jesus ; whom ye delivered up, and 
denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let 
him go. 

14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a mur- 
derer to be granted unto you ; 

15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the 
dead ; whereof we are witnesses. 

16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man 
strong, whom ye see and know : yea, the faith which is by him hath 
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, 
as did also your rulers, 

18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth 
of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may 
be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the pres- 
ence of the Lord ; 

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached 
unto you : 

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution 
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy 
prophets since the world began. 

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the 
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me ; him 
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear 
that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 

24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow 
after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which 
God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed 
shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him 
to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. 

Having cured the man by divine power, Peter preached to the 
multitude which amazement had brought together. We see here 



42 



COMlVIENTAilY ON 



the use of miracles, especially at the beginning of this dispensa- 
tion — to stamp the utterances of the apostles with divinity. It will 
be worth while for the Bible student to contrast this second sermon 
of Peter with his first sermon in chapter 2:14-26. In the first 
sermon he referred to the crucifixion of Jesus their king; in this 
second sermon, he refers to his future coronation. 

Peter was a true preacher of Christ. He undertook to turn the 
attention of the people from himself to Jesus. He said, ' ' Why do 
you look at John and I as if we had cured this man by our 
power," and then he preached Jesus to them. There are too 
many preachers who seem to think that the occupant of the pulpit, 
if not to be worshiped, is to be made the chief object of esteem 
in the church. When a preacher seeks to gain popularity by re- 
fusing to declare the plain * * truth as it is in Jesus, ' ' whether 
men like it or not, he becomes a rival of Jesus Christ and that is 
dangerous business. When he seeks to turn the love and praise 
of men to himself he has been recreant to his mission. What an 
opportunity Peter had to exalt himself before the people! And 
how he did exalt Jesus! 

Let us now notice the sermon. He begins by referring to 
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the fathers of the Jewish church, to 
show them that Christianity is a continuation of the old religion, 
and that he still held to Judaism, still reckoning himself as a Jew. 
Christianity was the flower developed from the bud of Judaism. 

He tells them that notwithstanding God had glorified his Son 
Jesus Christ, they had crucified him, and preferred a murderer to 
the Son of God — referring to their choice of Barabbas (Luke 23:16- 
19). He goes further and accuses them of murdering Jesus. They 
spared a murderer in order to commit murder themselves. What 
had come over this man, Peterj to be so bold when a few days 
before he had been so cowed by a servant girl as to deny Jesus? 
He had been to Pentecost and received that fullness of the Spirit 
that makes cowards bold. 

Now having stated the fact of Jesus the Son of God as their 
Messiah, and murdered Saviour, he makes to them the astounding 
declaration that faith in the name of the crucified Nazarene had 
healed this cripple. 

Peter was a tactful preacher, and did all he could to soften this 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



43 



stern message as far as his otvh words were concerned. He does 
not rant or call tliem hard names — hypocrites, etc., but says 
"Brethren." Xotiee he says, ''Brethren, I wot that through 
ignorance je did it. ' ' That is they were in Ignorance as to the 
full meaning of their acts. They were not in ignorance (at least 
not the rulers) that they had condemned Jesus without proper 
evidence, and that the people condemned him without any evi- 
dence, taking the word of the rulers instead of knowing what they 
were doing. Judas probably was the least excusable. Ignorance is 
no excuse, though it may mitigate sin to some extent. They had 
the spirit of vindictiveness and murder in their hearts, and slew 
J^us with wicked hands, even if they did not know who he was, 
yet they had the proofs that he was a good man by the many good 
acts and miracles he had performed. 

''Eepent ye therefore." As we have shown in chapter 2, verse 
38, repentance means change of mind or purpose as regards sin. 
Once they had their minds and pur-poses fully set upon committing 
sin, but repentance was a change of mind and purpose, such as 
leads to hatred of and abandonment of sin. ' ' And be converted. ' ' 
The word ''convert" is a word very largely used today. It really 
means to turn about, to change the course of life. It is the work 
of man as well as repentance. Eepentance means a changed atti- 
tude of heart and mind towards sin, and conversion means a change 
of our course consequent upon repentance. "We change our course 
of life because we have changed our mind towards sin. These are 
both human acts — the human side of salvation. Two things follow 
(1) Our sins will be "blotted out." This is a figure of wiping or 
cancelling out something charged on a book against us. The book 
here is the Book of God's Remembrance. He will remember them 
against us no more forever (Ps. 51:1; Is. 43:25; Is. 44:23). This 
is justification or pardon. (2) Eegeneration — the "times of re- 
freshing." The correct translation is "Eepent, ye therefore and 
be converted unto the blotting out of your sins, so that there may 
come seasons of reviving from the presence of the Lord. " It is the 
figure of the new life which comes in the spring time of the year. 
It means the new life imparted to the soul by the Holy Spirit, which 
we call regeneration, in the experience of the individual penitent, 
and a revival of religion in the case of the church as a whole. 



44 



COMMENTARY ON 



Notice the connection then — on the human side repentance and con- 
version or turning away from our sinful course. This is followed 
by pardon (justification), and the impartation of spiritual life 
(regeneration). Today we have come to use the term conversion, 
as combining the whole — repentance, turning from sin, justification 
and regeneration. No Tnan ever honestly repented and turned away 
from sin without obtaining pardon and regeneration. But there 
are thousands who seek God, caring not so much to have their 
sins forgiven as to receive a mere emotional blessing. 

''And he shall send Jesus Christ." Here we have one of the 
instances where Jesus comes spiritually to the penitent soul. In 

eagerness to establish the Second Advent, we must not mistake 
.his for one of the places where it is taught, as it is in the next 
verse (''times of restitution of all things"). Here it means that 
Jesus comes spiritually to the penitent; in verse 21 it means he is 
to come literally to restore all things. The repentance of this 
crowd of sinners would not bring the Second Advent, for it is not 
conditional on the repentance of anybody. God has his set time 
for the Second Coming and no man can hurry it by any act of his. 

He then goes on to say that Jesus, having been crucified, went to 
heaven to remain until it was time for him to come the second 
time to restore all things. There is a time when Jesus shall come 
again and restore all things. There will be a new heaven and a 
new earth (2 Peter 3 :12-13). Then the Jews will see their Mes- 
siah again, either as a glorious friend or a just judge. And this 
is the teaching of the Old Testament prophets (Isa. 2:2-5; 11:6-9; 
Dan. 2:35-44; Micah 4:3-4). Moses, too, representative of the 
law, had prophesied of Jesus, calling him a prophet, like unto him- 
self. Jesus was like Moses in that he was a mediator between God 
and man. Jesus was the mediator of a better covenant than that 
of Moses (Heb. 2-11). Peter tells them that this gospel of Jesus 
was offered to the Jews first before giving it to the Gentiles, And' 
that it was a blessing in turning them from their sins. We learn 
from this that the great and chief blessing of the gospel is that 
it turns men from their sins, not merely from punishment of sin, 
but from sin itself. Strange then that any one in this twentieth 
century of grace should deny that we can be saved from sin. 



CHAPTER IV. 
HOLINESS PERSECUTED. 

The First Persecution After Pentecost. Vs. 1-22. God Is the 
Refuge of His Persecuted Saints. Vs. 23-31. The Harmony 
and Power of a Sanctified Church. Vs. 32-37. 

THE FIRST PERSECUTION AFTER PENTECOST. Vs. 1-32. 

1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the cap- 
tain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 

2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through 
Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the 
next day : for it was now eventide. 

4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed ; and 
the number of the men was about five thousand. 

5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, 
and scribes, 

6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alex- 
ander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were 
gathered together at Jerusalem. 

7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what 
power, or by what name, have ye done this? 

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye 
rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 

9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impo- 
tent man, by what means he is made whole ; 

10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that 
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom 
God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before 
you whole. 

11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, 
which is become the head of the corner. 

12 Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other 
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and per- 
ceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled ; 
and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 

14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, 
they could say nothing against it. 

45 



I 



46 



COMMENTARY ON 



15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the 
council, they conferred among themselves, 

16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a nota- ' 
Die miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell 
in Jerusalem ; and we cannot deny it. 

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly 
t\»reaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 

18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at 
all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 

19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them. Whether it 
be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, 
judge ye. 

20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and 
heard. 

21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, 
finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people : for 
all men glorified God for that which was done. 

22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle 
of healing was shewed. 

The Book of Acts is the history of the church after it received 
the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The work of the Spirit in sanc- 
tifying, empowering and moving to preach and testify is the same 
in all ages, and the carnal mind is also the same, and it has always 
persecuted the saints in all ages. As long as the carnal mind 
remains in man there will be hostility in this world against holiness. 
People have tried to live so holy and blameless as to give no offense. 
But the holier we are the more offense do we give to the carnal 
mind. Jesus, who was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from 
sinners, was the worst persecuted of any that ever walked this 
earth. And the nearer we get to his spiritual likeness the more 
shall we suffer the persecution of the ungodly and carnal, as he 
did. The history of the Pentecostal church is a symbol of the his- 
tory of every holiness revival since — the Spirit outpoured, many 
people saved and sanctified, and much persecution. Paul says, ' ' All 
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ' ' Well 
did the holy martyr St. Stephen say of their persecution of the holy 
prophets, * ' Which of the prophets have not your fathers perse- 
cuted?" (Acts 7:52). One of the marks of genuine holiness is 
its power to draw the opposition of the carnal mind, as the magnet 
draws steel. One of the evidences of genuine holiness is the oppo>- 
sition it creates. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



47 



Consequently the priests, the captain of the temple police and 
the Sadducees came upon Peter and John and stopped their preach- 
ing and arrested them. ''Observe in this first persecution of the 
church a type of all that follow: A corrupt priesthood lead the 
way, the civil power is its instrument; the infidel world combines 
with and sustains the two." (Abbott.) The priests were angry 
with them for leading the people away from them. The police 
pretended the crowds that surrounded them were disturbers of the 
peace and the Sadducees, who were the infidels of the day, joined 
them. These classes were much disturbed that these men should 
teach without authority and the Sadducees, who did not believe in 
the resurrection, were especially disturbed* because the apostles 
preached that Jesus had arisen. And so Peter and John passed 
the night in jail or prison, for doing good in healing the lame man. 

However, it was too late to prevent the people from believing 
the Word, for they had heard it. The apostles might be imprisoned 
but they had delivered the message and the people had believed. 
Men may hinder the workmen, but when the truth is once planted 
in the heart, it can not be uprooted by persecuting the preachers. 
So it is refreshing to read that the number who believed was about 
five thousand. Three thousand at Pentecost and now five thousand, 
and a few days later it says ' ' many. ' ' Some one says, ' ' first three 
thousand, then five thousand, and then it set in like a regular 
equinoctial storm and they lost the count, and it says, 'And the 
number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly.' " (Ch. 6:7.) 
Here we see the mighty power God puts in the hands of the church 
that gets the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the very thing lack- 
ing in this day to take the world. See what this blessing meant to 
the world. "It would appear that on the fiftieth day after the 
death of Christ the apostles commenced their labors. 'Beginning 
in Jerusalem,' the very furnace of persecution, they first set up 
their banner in the midst of those who had been first in the cruci- 
fixion of Jesus, and were all elated with the triumph of that 
tragedy. No assemblage could have been more possessed of a 
disposition perfectly at war with their message than that to which 
they made their first address. And what was the tenor of the 
address? 'Jesus of Nazareth,' said Peter, 'being delivered with 
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, Ye have taken 



48 



COMMENTARY ON 



and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath 
raised up — Therefore let all the house of Israel know, assuredly 
that Grod hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, 
both Lord and Christ. ' One would have supposed that the same 
hands that had rioted in the blood of his Master would have now 
wreaked their enmity in that of this daring and, to all human view, 
most impolitic apostle. But what ensued? Three thousand souls 
were added that day to the infant church. In a few days the num- 
ber was increased to five thousand; and in the space of about a 
year and a half, though the gospel was preached only in Jerusalem 
and its vicinity, yet, multitudes both of men and women and 
a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Now 
the converts, being driven by a fierce persecution from Jerusalem, 
went everywhere preaching the word, and in less than three years 
churches were gathered throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria 
and were multiplied. 

* * About two years after this, or seven from the beginning of the 
work, the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles; and such was 
the success, that before thirty years had elapsed from the death of 
Christ, his church had spread from Palestine throughout Syria; 
through almost all the numerous districts of Lesser Asia; through 
Greece, and the islands of the Aegean Sea, the sea coast of Africa, 
and even into Italy and Rome. ... In the thirtieth year after 
the beginning of the work, the terrible persecution under Nero 
kindled its fires; then Christians had become so numerous at Rome, 
that, by the testimony of Tacitus, a ' great multitude ' were seized. 
In forty years more we are told in a celebrated letter from Pliny 
the Roman governor of Pontus and Bythinia, that Christianity had 
long subsisted in these provinces so remote from Judea. Many of 
all ages and of every rank, of both sexes likewise, were accused to 
Pliny of being Christians. What he calls the contagion of this 
superstition (thus forcibly describing the irresistible and rapid 
progress of Christianity) had seized not cities only, but the lesser 
towns also, and the open country, so that the heathen temples were 
almost forsaken; few victims were purchased for sacrifice, and a 
long intermission of the sacred solemnities had taken place." 
(Hopkins.) 

Let professed Christianity with its millions get the same bless- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



19 



ing that the early church had and it would take this world in the 
next ten years. Holiness too was the basis of the "Wesleyan revival, 
which was the greatest revival since Pentecost. 

So the Jewish Sanhedrim was hastily gathered together the 
next day and Peter and John were brought into their midst. How 
troubled these ecclesiastical sinners must have felt. They thought 
that by crucifying Jesus they had stamped his cause with the brand 
of eternal infamy and destroyed it. But instead of putting out the 
fire, they found the flames were bursting forth in greater power. 
Now they were at their wits end surely. How many since have 
thought they could destroy or stamp out holiness. The more men 
persecute it, the stronger it becomes. This has always been the 
rule. 

Now see the wonderful change in the Peter who a few weeks 
ago had been a coward and denied to a little servant maid his 
connection with Jesus. The holy fire had burned the cowardice all 
out of him. The Sanhedrim evidently thought to frighten Peter, 
asking, ''By what power or by what name have ye done this?" 
They no doubt knew that the disciples had fled from fear when 
Jesus was arrested and they expected to frighten them again. But 
a different Peter now confronts them. He upsets their plans by 
his boldness (vs. 13). He not only tells them that the miracle 
was performed by the power of the name of Jesus, but he goes 
further and boldly declares that Jesus is the Messiah, and also the 
Saviour of mankind. 

Peter then goes on to assert that Christianity is the only true 
religion. He would be called narrow, bigoted and dogmatic and 
uncharitable towards other religions had he lived now. But Chris- 
tianity is the only true religion and it is a kindness to those in error 
to act and preach as if we believed it. Let us imitate the posi- 
tiveness of Peter in declaring that this is the only way in which 
men can be saved. 

This boldness of the Spirit-filled Peter astonished the Sanhedrim, 
They could not understand how these men, unaccustomed to speak 
in public assemblies, unlearned in the literature taught in the 
schools of the day, could speak with such ease and boldness. They 
did not understand that the Spirit was speaking through Peter, 
as Jesus had promised would be the case when they got into trouble 



50 



COISBIENTARY ON 



(See Luke 12:11-12). They tried to analyze it by himian standards. 
We have seen people attempt in these days to detect hj humiin 
methods, the secret of the power of men filled with the Holy 
Ghost. Jesus in his teaching was very bold in his utterances, and 
they took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with 
Jesus and learned this boldness of him. Spirit-filled men are not 
cowards. 

And what could the authorities say in the matter? There was 
the man who had been healed standing by them. A living witness 
stopped their gainsaying mouths. The sure proof of the virtue 
of a medicine is the cured men who have taken it. Christianity 
proves its divinity by its living witnesses. No other religion has 
an experience to which there could be witnesses. This is the 
difference between Christianity and all other religions. All other 
religions are but opinions and creeds. 

So they had a session of this ecclesiastical court to see what 
they should do with these men. They were in a dilemma indeed. 
The miracle was so well known that they could not deny it, and 
that was what troubled them. So they concluded to threaten them 
and forbid their speaking in the name of Jesus any more. The 
great controversy is not so much against the truth as against its 
being spoken. Satan knows that if he can keep the truth locked up 
in men's hearts or in books, it will do little haxm. We can enjoy 
all the religion we wish and have no persecution, if we will keep 
still about it. It is the testimony that stirs Satan 's kingdom, and 
he is never so well pleased as when he can spike this great gun 
that works great havoc against his kingdom. Woe to the church 
and the holiness movement when there are no witnessing tongues! 

The question when we meet with temptation through the threat- 
enings and ostracism which testimony meets is, Shall we obey 
God or man? God says when men seek to stop our testimony, 
' ' Ye are my witnesses. ' ' Will we be cowards when the truth is at 
stake? It was a great test of the disciple's faith in God to stiind 
against the highest authority in the church. It was the same as 
if the bishops and siiperintendent-s of the church today should 
forbid our testifying and threaten expulsion from the church. 
Peter and John uttered the true idea of testifying for Jesus thus, 
* ' We can but speak the things which we have seen and heard. ' ' 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



51 



Any one who has an experience that they can keep still about needs 
a better experience. Beal salvation is too big a secret to keep to 
one 's self, for * ' out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh, ' ' said J esus. The man who can keep still has no experi- 
ence worth telling. The man who has really passed from death 
to life or has been sanctified wholly, has something he cannot retain 
and be quiet about it. 

Notice, too, the apostles were not defiant to the authorities ; did 
not show disrespect in their language or denounce those who threat- 
ened. They proved that they had ' ' the Blessing. " So we see being 
filled with the Spirit gives boldness to speak with a meek and quiet 
spirit. 

GOD IS THE REFUGE OF HIS PERSECUTED SAINTS. Vs. 23-31. 

23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported 
all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God 
with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, 
and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : 

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the 
heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered 
together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast 
anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the 
people of Israel, were gathered together, 

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined 
before to be done. 

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings : and grant unto thy 
servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word. 

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal ; and that signs and 
wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they 
were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 
and they spake the word of God with boldness. 

The persecuted apostles being released immediately went to 
''their own company." The old adage, "a. man is known by the 
company he keeps ' ' is emphatically true in the Christian life. These 
disciples did not go to their homes but to the assembly of the 
holy brethren. Holy people understand and can sympathise with 
each other better than with members of the same family who are 



53 



COMMENTARY ON 



not entirely sanctified. The accusation has been made against the 
modern holiness people that they are clannish and like to get to- 
gether. This is precisely what the holy people of the Pentecostal 
church did. They went to their own company. There is no such 
fellowship on earth as that of holy people. We believe in that 
article of the Apostles' creed, "I believe in the communion of 
samts." Just as far as churches are fully sanctified do we see 
true union. 

It is delightful to read of their lifting their voices ''with one 
accord. ' ' They were of one accord when seeking the blessing 
(Ch. 1:14). They were of the same ''one accord" when the Holy 
Ghost came upon them (Ch. 2:1). They were also continuing daily 
in the temple and from house to house "with one accord" (Ch. 
2:46) and here they pray with one accord (Vs. 24). They appeal 
in their emergency against the opposition of their enemies to the 
Almighty God who created all things, to help them. He is the 
refuge of his people in times of persecution. He has the power to 
protect his little ones. They either sang together or repeated the 
Second Psalm, and declared its divine inspiration in these words, 
' ' by the mouth of thy servant David hast said. ' ' We accept the 
testimony of these Spirit-filled men as to the inspiration of the 
Psalms of David, the higher critics notwithstanding. They recog- 
nized in the opposition of the Sanhedrim, the attitude of the carnal 
mind in all ages (not merely the time of David) against God. 
Let us when persecuted for righteousness recognize it as a part of 
the conflict of the ages between sin and holiness and tell our God 
about it. Let us like them not be surprised at the attitude of the 
carnal mind, but accept it as in the nature of things, foreseen by 
God. 

Notice these persecuted servants of God did not pray so spe- 
cifically to be protected from their enemies, as for boldness to 
declare the truth, and for divine attestation of it by miracles. 
They wanted grace to declare the word plainly and fearlessly. They 
did not fear the storm and ask God to still the storm, but wanted 
to be made more efficient. They wanted to carry on the battle. 
So instead of praying God to restrain the fury of their enemies they 
asked for greater power against them. They never thought of 
showing any fear, or shirking the responsibility that the baptism 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



53 



of tlie Spirit brings. Courage is the great quality God wants us 
to have. 

And as they were praying two things took place — the place was 
shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. The particu- 
lar and most important phenomenon was the filling with the Holy 
Ghost. The shaking of the place was only the accompaniment. 
On the day of Pentecost the sound of the rushing mighty wind 
was the accompaniment. There are many fillings and anointings 
of the Spirit upon the entirely sanctified. We ought to remember 
this and have frequent anointings. As our hearts expand we need 
more and more such experiences — one baptism that cleanses from 
sin but frequent anointings. God has special girdings for his 
saints in emergencies. Let us remember when we are opposed, 
that it is God whom men are fighting, and he will fit us for all 
emergencies. ''They spoke the word with boldness." As we 
have already remarked in Ch. 1-8, the chief power given to us when 
we receive ''the blessing" is to be efficient witnesses for God. 
The tongue of fire is the great agency of God in spreading his truth. 

THE HARMONY AND POWEH OF A SANCTIFIED CHURCB. 
Vs. 32-37. 

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and 
of one soul : neither said any of them that ought of the things which 
he possessed was his own ; but they had all things common, 

33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resur- 
rection of the Lord Jesus : and great grace was upon them all. 

34 Neither was there any among them that lacked : for as many as 
were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices 
of the things that were sold, 

35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet : and distribution was 
made unto every man according as he had need. 

36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which 
is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the 
country of Cyprus, 

37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the 
apostles' feet. 

No outward opposition can harm a sanctified church. It is 
only when inward dissensions arise that the cause languishes. It is 
refreshing to see this church invincible because united. In every 
age there has been some special doctrine that God wants emphasized 



54 



COMMENTARY ON 



and about which the contest rages. In the apostles' day it was as 
to whether Jesus really arose from the dead. Rom. 10-9 shows this. 
This filling of the Holy Spirit recorded in verse 31 gave the disciples 
great boldness in declaring the resurrection of Jesus, which was a 
doctrine very unpalatable to the ecclesiastical authorities. In this 
generation the contest of the ages rages about the doctrine of holi- 
ness. And we who preach this unpalatable doctrine need the fullness 
of the Spirit to preach with boldness. Nothing but the fullness of 
the Spirit will fully equip us for it and give us the necessary 
boldness. 

So we see here three results of the gift of the Holy Spirit — 
unity of the church, power to preach the gospel and practical 
benevolence. Let us look now at the third. * ' Neither was there any 
among them that lacked. ' ' The socialism of this Pentecostal church 
has been misunderstood by some. It does not mean as we said in 
2:45 that everybody put all they had into a common fund 
and shared alike. But there was a liberal distribution as far as 
there was any need — all the needy were provided for. Perfect 
love to God means perfect love to man. When they sold their goods 
and laid the price at the apostles' feet, it does not necessarily 
mean that they laid the full price there. Here we first notice Barna- 
bas, who figures quite prominently in further history. 



CHAPTER V. 



CONSECRATION. 

The Results of Pretended Consecration. Vs. 1-16. The Results 
of Genuine Consecration. Vs. 17-42. 

TEE RESULTS OF PRETENDED CONSECRATION. Vs. 1-16. 

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold 
a possession, 

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, 
and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to 
lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, 
was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in 
thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the 
ghost : and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried Mm out, 
and buried him. 

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, 
not knowing what was done, came in. 

8 And Peter answered unto her. Tell me whether ye sold the land 
for so much ? And she said, Yea, for so much. 

9 Then Peter said unto her. How is it that ye have agreed together 
to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have 
buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up 
the ghost : and the young men came in, and found her dead, and 
carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 

11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as 
heard these things. 

12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders 
wrought among the people ; (and they were all with one accord in 
Solomon's porch. 

13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them : but the 
people magnified them. 

14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes 
both of men and women.) 



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COMMENTARY ON 



15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and 
laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter 
passing by might overshadow some of them. 

16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto 
Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean 
spirits : and they were healed every one. 

Consecration is a great subject. It is one of the conditions 
necessary to the obtainment of entire sanctification. It is a very 
important matter because when we are entirely consecrated, the 
faith that brings entire sanctification springs up spontaneously and 
the work of entire sanctification is performed by the Holy Spirit. 
It being such an important matter, there are all sorts of imitations 
and counterfeits. (Only valuables are counterfeited.) There are 
thousands who are offering a bogus, incomplete consecration to God. 
They think to beat him down on his requirements. They think 
they can deceive the Holy Spirit and get the blessing at a discount. 
They think they can keep back part of the price as did Ananias 
and Sapphira. 

Notice the contrast between true and false consecration in the 
last verse of the previous chapter and the first verse of this chap- 
ter. It says of Barnabas (Ch. 4:37) Having sold it and laid 
the money at the apostles' feet" but (Ch. 5:1) a certain man 
named Ananias with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession and kept 
back part of the price." Here we have what is going on all the 
time in the modern church — professions of entire consecration, both 
genuine and spurious. The Bible is a remarkable book of biography 
and is full of marked contrasts of character. 

The name Ananias means ' ' Jehovah is gracious. ' ' The name 
Sapphira means ''beautiful." Bengel remarks on this, ''Their 
names were favorable and beautiful. Their principles were bad." 
Here were a wedded couple of one mind — to offer a false conse- 
cration. It was a false consecration because they professed that 
it was complete. It was hypocrisy. 

We get light here on the socialism of the Pentecostal church. 
A giving up of all their property for the treasury of the church 
was not required, as we see by verse 4 where Peter says, "While 
it remained was it not thine own? And after it was sold was it not 
in thine own power?" This shows that it was not compulsory to 
put it into the church treasury. (See our comments on Ch. 1:45 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



57 



and Ch. 4:35.) The act of giving all to the chnrch treasnry was 
voluntary. They seemed to want to get the reputation of being 
good givers when they were not. They gave to be seen of men. 
This profession of entire consecration was in a public assembly. 

Our use of our money is a good test of our consecration. Cove- 
tousness is an awful sin. It makes money a god. It is a common 
sin. Many people fail to get anything from God because they do 
not really consecrate their money. There are doubtless thousands 
of people professing to be entirely consecrated who do not know 
the first principles of consecration as shown in their death-like 
clutch upon their money. Here is a sample — a man who claimed 
that he had given all to God, and yet reserved a part to himself. 

Why did Ananias act this way? Peter says, "Satan filled thine 
heart." Satan filled his heart with sin. Here then we learn the 
origin of depravity. It comes from Satan. He fills men's hearts 
with sin. Some people have tried to excuse man 's depraved nature 
by saying God made him thus. But God never created anything 
sinful. Jesus says in the parable of the tares, ' ' An enemy hath 
done this. ' ' Satan filled Adam with a carnal nature and through 
Adam the whole race, and he adds to this filling when men consent 
to it — an added depravity. Here we learn too that sin is the work 
of Satan (1 Jno. 3:8). 

* * To lie to the Holy Ghost. ' ' Notice the Holy Ghost is a person — 
not an influence — to whom lies may be told. Of all the self-deceit 
in the world the worst is to think we can lie to God and he not 
know it. We can sometimes deceive man, but never God, and yet 
men keep right on lying to him. The only party they deceive is 
themselves. The vows of entire consecration are not made to men 
or the church, but God, as here. It is most serious business to vow 
to God and keep anything back. 

Peter reasons with him thus, ''Why hast thou conceived this in 
thy heart ? ' ' Here we get light on the workings of depravity. Satan 
filled the heart of Ananias and then with this seed in his heart he 
conceived the outward act or profession of spurious consecration. 
To conceive means to take up with. He worked the evil out that 
Satan put in. Some work out the salvation that God puts into 
their lives and others the sin that they allow Satan to put in. 

When Peter had spoken these words, Ananias fell dead. It was 



58 



COMMENTARY ON 



not Peter 's words, but God, who killed him. Peter must not there- 
fore be criticized and it is hazardous in the extreme to criticize what 
God does. God is taking men every day — sometimes in judgment, 
sometimes in mercy, and when he takes sinners in judgment it is 
only a few days before their allotted time, which is short at the 
longest. God has a special loathing for covetous people (Psalm 
10:3) ; especially if they are his professed followers. Achan, Judas 
and Ananias are illustrations of this fact. He removed Ananias 
as a warning, but his eternal destiny is infinitely worse than his 
physical death. So they buried him according to the usual custom, 
the same day of his death. 

It is evident that religious services were of great length in 
those days, for three hours later his wife Sapphira came to the 
assembly and told the same lie. It is a sad thing when two people 
conspire to do evil, especially a husband and wife. Hypocrisy is the 
worst of all sias. It is insidious, and dangerous because it is 
insidious. 

Again the sacred writer tells of the condition of the church as 
he did in Chapter 2:41-47; 4:31-35. He especially mentions as he 
has already four times, that they were ''of one accord." (See 
Chap. 1:14; 2:1, 46; Ch. 4:24.) Thank God there is harmony 
in a Spirit-filled church that is lasting. 

There might seem to be a discrepancy between the statement 
in vs. 13 that ''there durst no man join them" and the statement 
in verse 14 that ' ' believers were the more added to the Lord. ' ' But 
it means that no man of the sort of Ananias and Sapphira dared 
join them. But believers were added the more to the Lord (not to 
the church) because God had showed his disciplining hand. Dis- 
cipline makes the body of Christ respected and makes it attractive. 
There were multitudes, because, then as now, religious life ebbs and 
flows in current. Men, because the strong in their pride were bowed 
down; women, because the gospel both owns and elevates and 
enfranchises women. " (Abbott.) 

The outside people — not the believers — brought out their sick 
and in their superstitious credulity thought that if the shadow of 
Peter fell on them, they would be healed. The record does not say 
they were healed. God never healed people after that fashion any- 
where in the Bible. We believe Peter healed all that were brought 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



59 



to Mm. (See verse 12.) We do not doubt that by a faith in 
Peter's shadow some were healed by the power of the mind or 
' ' the mind cure. ' ' But there was no virtue in his shadow. 

THE RESULTS OF GENUINE CONSECRATION. Vs. 17-42. 

17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, 
(which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 

18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the 
common prison. 

19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, 
and brought them forth, and said, 

20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words 
of this life. 

21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early 
in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that 
were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of 
the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 

22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, 
they returned, and told, 

23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and 
the keepers standing without before the doors : but when we had opened, 
we found no man within. 

24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and 
the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto 
this would grow. 

25 Then came one and told them, saying. Behold, the men whom 
ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 

26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them 
without violence : for they feared the people, lest they should have been 
stoned. 

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the 
council : and the high priest asked them, 

28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not 
teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your 
doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 

29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought 
to obey God rather than men. 

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and 
hanged on a tree. 

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to he a Prince and 
a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 

32 And we are his witnesses of these things ; and so is also the 
Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. 

33 When they heard that^ they were cut to the heart, and took 
counsel to slay them. 



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COMMENTARY ON 



34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named 
Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, 
and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space ; 

35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves 
what ye intend to do as touching these men. 

36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to 
be somebody ; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined 
themselves : who was slain ; and all, as many as obeyed him, were 
scattered, and brought to nought. 

37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the 
taxing, and drew away much people after him : he also perished ; and 
all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 

38 And now I say unto you. Refrain from these men, and let them 
alone : for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought : 

39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be 
found even to fight against God. 

40 And to him they agreed : and when they had called the apostles, 
and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the 
name of Jesus, and let them go. 

41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing 
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 

42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not 
to teach and preach Jesus Christ. 

We have shown the results of spurious consecration as illustrated 
in the experience of Ananias and Sapphira. We now notice the 
results of genuine consecration as illustrated in the experience of 
the apostles. We see the boldness and spiritual triumphs it brought 
and also the opposition that it stirred up. This is but the history 
of every spiritual revival and onward aggressive movement. Our 
consecration will be tested by the opposition we shall surely meet. 

So the high-priest and all that were with him, who were Sad- 
dueees — the infidels of that day — became exceedingly angry. Is it 
not astonishing that men get angry when good is being done? Here 
were many being healed of different diseases and getting salvation. 
If we did not know the nature of the carnal mind, we would be 
astonished to see men get angry at good deeds. But so it is. 
"The carnal mind is enmity against God." It hates to see the 
works of God. The angry high priest had the apostles put into 
prison over night, intending to bring them into court in the morning. 
But God is on the side of his persecuted children. If entire con- 
secration brings the opposition of the carnal mind, it also brings the 
assistance of God. As a mother takes the part of the child whom 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



61 



the other children torment, so God looks after his little ones, and 
here he sends his angel to bring them out of prison. This de- 
liv^anee increased their boldness in the court next morning. A 
good cause always prospers best when persecuted. If the modern 
church only had something about or in it worth persecuting, it 
would thrive much better spiritually. The word angel means a mes- 
senger. God has his messengers to help his people. Arnot says, 
"The angel opened the prison, and carried to the prisoners the 
Master's message, that they should continue to preach the gospel; 
but the angel himself does not preach. You never find an angel 
calling on sinners to repent." The angel commanded them to go 
and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words 
of this immortal life, obtained by the resurrection of Jesus. 
"Would not the angels be glad to have the opportunity to preach 
salvation that we mortals have! And so they began preaching in 
the temple very early in the morning. When the court assembled 
to try these men and sent officers to bring them into court, they 
found they were not there. The officers reported that the prison 
doors were locked and the guards before the doors, but the 
prisoners were escaped. Now consternation seizes the hierarchy. 
They were troubled and perplexed. This circumstance, in con- 
nection with the miracles already performed by the apostles 
alarmed the high priest and his party. To add to their confusion, 
some one came and reported that the apostles were at that very 
moment preaching in the temple, and were not trying to escape. 
So the temple police went to the temple and brought them without 
violence to the court room. They feared the people so that they 
treated them gently. The truth is more attractive to the common 
people than to ungodly ecclesiasticism. Jesus and apostles were 
very popular with the common people. 

Set before the council, they were asked, '*Did we not com- 
mand you not to teach in this name ? ' ' They call it ' * this name. ' ' 
They did not speak the name of Jesus. For some reason they 
did not like to pronounce it. Ecclesiasticism always likes to boss 
other people, and lord it over God's heritage. The same spirit is 
in modern ungodly ecclesiasticism, although it is not so powerful 
as in those days. 

They charged the apostles with filling Jerusalem with their 



62 



COMMENTARY ON 



doctrine or teaching. That is all Jerusalem was stirred by their 
teaching. Poor misguided ecclesiastics! They thought they had 
got rid of Jesus and his cause, but found that it is stronger than 
when he was on earth. Persecution always helps the cause of God. 

Their enemies also charged them with the intention of making 
the people believe they were guilty of the crucifixion of their 
Messiah. So they say, ''you intend to bring this man's blood 
upon us. ' ' There were only two alternatives. The blood must 
come upon them as guilty of the crucifixion of Jesus (for they 
had said, ''His blood be upon us." Matt. 27:25) or it must come 
upon them to save them from their sins. It came upon them as 
punishment or salvation. They refused the salvation and so con- 
demnation did come upon them for shedding that precious blood. 

Genuine consecration gives boldness. The man who has really 
given himself to God, fears nothing when in the line of duty. So 
Peter answers boldly, "We ought to obey God rather than man." 
Is this the same Peter who a few weeks ago had denied his mas- 
ter, frightened by a servant girl? Yes, the same, and yet not 
the same. He had received the fullness of the Spirit at Pentecost, 
and the carnal mind, the cause of fear, had been destroyed. (Acts 
15:9.) Now he fears no one. Abbott thus outlines the address 
of this consecrated, Spirit-fiUed man, "The address that follows 
is almost in the nature of a syllogism; its logic is unanswerable. 
(1) We ought to obey God rather than man. (2) Israel's God 
had raised and exalted Jesus, whom ye slew. (3) By direct 
commission and by the impartation of the Holy Ghost we are 
directed to bear witness of these truths." 

Note the contrast: God raised up Jesus, but ye slew him and 
disgraced him whom God exalted. 

This Jesus, God exalted, who is a Prince and Saviour. The 
reason that God exalted him was two-fold. (1) To give re- 
pentance. We have already shown (Ch. 3:19) that repentance is 
a change of mind toward sin. God gives this change of mind. 
The human heart is totally depraved. That is, it is so far in the 
dark that man would never have any desire to be saved if God 
did not put the desire in his heart and the disposition to turn 
from sin. (2) Eemission of sins. This not only means forgive- 
ness, but also the cleansing of the soul from sin. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



63 



Then the apostles boldly declared that they were witnesses of 
these things (or words it may be translated). Let us try to take 
into account the surroundings. Probably such a speech had never 
before been made. It was the highest council of the Jews, who 
were here told by these men that they were witnesses of the life, 
death, resurrection of Jesus and salvation from all sin. This is 
the first testimony of this kind in such a place ever recorded. 
How many millions since that time have testified to the power 
of Jesus to save from all sin. Jesus had told them they should 
witness (Luke 24:47-48). He also says (no doubt Peter was 
spokesman) that the Holy Spirit also was a witness with them. 
This is exactly in harmony with what Jesus had said in John 
15:26-27. The Holy Spirit had borne witness in two ways — by 
the signs and miracles he had wrought through them, and also 
by an internal witnessing to the souls of the apostles. ''Both 
kinds of testimony are included here and on these three kinds of 
evidence C?hristianity rests. (1) Historiml and human, the testi- 
mony of credible witnesses to the life, character and resurrection 
of Jesus of Nazareth. (2) Divine and external, the evidence 
afforded by moral and spiritual changes in individuals and the 
community accounted for only by the presence of God's spirit. 
(3) Di/vine and internal, the inward realization of the Spirit of 
God in the heart of the believer." 

Peter's address was just what might have been expected in 
fulfillment of the promise of Jesus. The latter had said, ''But 
when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall 
speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. 
For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father which 
speaketh in you." (Matt. 10:19-20.) So here we have a speech 
coming directly from the Holy Spirit and it is a model worth our 
study. Notice it was brief. It contained only three sentences. 
This will be an encouragement to those whose efforts are short. 
God can speak through short talks as well as those that are 
lengthy. It was compact and complete. It contains the cruci- 
fixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, as king and Savior, 
and the repentance, forgiveness and cleansing that he gives, and the 
witness of the Spirit and the duty and privilege of saved people 
to be witnesses. The sturdy courage of the apostles also per- 



64 



COMMENTARY ON 



meates it. This short speech contains all the essentials of the 
gospel of Jesus. It has been called the "true apostles' creed." 
It also gives the conditions of receiving the Holy Spirit. He is 
given to those who ohey God, 

The result of this sermon upon the audience is seen in the 
phrase, ''They were cut to the heart." The word heart is not 
in the original. The correct translation is, ''They were sawn 
asunder." When the Holy Spirit convicted the hearers of Peter 
it says, "They were pricked to the heart" (Acts 2:37) and 
yielded at once. They felt pain of conscience and sought 
relief, crying, "What must we do?" But here instead of yielding 
to the pricking of the truth they resented it and were sawn 
asunder by it (See a similar instance in Acts 7:54) and they were 
angry, and sought to kill the apostles. If we did not know the 
nature of the carnal mind, would it not seem strange that men 
want to kill others for opinion's sake? But there was one shrewd 
member of the council by the name of Gamaliel. Without doubt 
he had heard and been moved by the teachings of Jesus and had 
perhaps been favorably impressed, but did not dare to become 
his follower. He was a Pharisee and contended earnestly for the 
doctrine of the Resurrection against the infidel Sadducees, and 
to allow the Sadducees to condemn these men for preaching the 
Resurrection would be a blow at the fundamental doctrine of 
Phariseeism. (The high priest was a Sadducee.) So he made 
this adroit suggestion. Gamaliel was a very popular man, being 
a great teacher, and his suggestion was adopted. It was a stroke 
of policy on the part of a man who was convinced of much of 
the beauty of Jesus' teachings, but had not the moral courage to 
take an open stand for them. He was much like Nicodemus and 
Joseph of Arimathea, who helped anoint and bury the body of Jesus. 

Gamaliel was one of the greatest public teachers of the day. 
He was the first to receive the title of Raban, and his advice had 
great weight. So the council agreed to the proposition in part. 
They let the disciples go, but they whipped them first, and com- 
manded them to speak no more in the name of Jesus. This was 
their great offense — speaking in the name of Jesus. For speak- 
ing in the name of the one whom they had condemned as a 
criminal was a reproach to the council, who condemned him. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



65 



So the disciples departed not whining, or complaining, but re- 
joicing because they were counted worthy to suffer shame for 
the name of Jesus. They did not desist from preaching or teach- 
ing, but kept at it daily. This is true consecration, that cannot 
be frightened from duty. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH. 

A Spirit-fiUed Church Settles Differences in a Harmonious 
Manner. Vs. 1-7. The Spirit Develops Talent. Vs. 8-10. Such 
a Church Brings upon Itself Persecution. Vs. 11-15. 

A SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH SETTLES DIFFICULTIES IN A 
HARMONIOUS MANNER. Vs. 1-7. 

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multi- 
plied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, 
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, 
and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and 
serve tables. 

3 Wherefore, Iwethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest 
report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over 
this business. 

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the 
ministry of the word. 

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose 
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and 
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas. and Nicolas a 
proselyte of Antioch : 

6 Whom they set before the apostles : and when they had prayed, 
they laid their hands on them. 

7 And the word of God increased ; and the number of the disciples 
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great company of the priests 
were obedient to the faith. 

Human nature is the same in all ages of the world, and the 
Holy Ghost does the same work in the heart in all ages when he 
comes in his fullness; and the hostility of the carnal mind is also 
the same. We shall therefore be enabled to learn some lessons 
if we study the experiences and history of this Spirit-filled church. 
The church has now greatly multiplied. The church was made up 
of two classes — Hebrews and Greeks. Doubtless these Greeks 



67 



68 



COMMENTARY ON 



were proselytes, who had embraced the Mosaic religion before 
they were converted, for the Hebrew law permitted this. Here 
was an opportunity to have a quarrel, and a split. How many 
good causes have been killed or hampered by differences that have 
led to quarrel and division. The point of difficulty was that the 
Hebrew widows were helped in their necessity from the common 
charitable fund, spoken of in Chap. 2:44, but the Grecian widows 
had been neglected. This took place probably because the situa- 
tion was new (there was no special provision under the Mosaic 
law for assisting widows), and partly from a lack of system. 
The church was new and new too at the business of looking after 
the poor. In Eastern countries a widow is very helpless. She is 
the prey of the lawless, who contrive all sorts of methods to get 
her property, since she has no defender. So here was a race prob- 
lem. And a race problem is usually an ugly one. Eace prejudice 
is a manifestation of carnality. It was right for the Greeks to 
see that their poor were looked after and call attention to it.* But 
it would have been wrong to let it go unsettled until they back- 
slid on both sides and had a division. If people in this day would 
settle their difficulties immediately, how much damage to the 
cause of God might be avoided. The Pentecostal church attended 
to it at once and kept the unity of the Spirit. It is easier to 
prevent trouble than to settle it after it has occurred. So the 
twelve apostles called the church together and said, *'We will 
quit trying to look after the temporalities of the church and let 
some one who is not called to the public ministry of the word attend 
to that. Here is the authority for giving laymen office in the 
church, to look after the temporalities. In a church filled with the 
Holy Spirit, the laymen will not burden the preacher with having 
to look after the finances. 

These men who were to serve on the ' ' official board of the 
church" were to have three qualifications. (1) "Of honest 
report. ' ' They were to be not merely honest men, but men 
whom the people believed to be honest. The men who carry on 
the finances of a church ought to be above suspicion, else the 
people will be backward about giving their money and the cause 
will be hindered. The same is true of any other church official. 
Paul says a bishop must be "of good report of them which are 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



69 



without." (2) 'TuU of the Holy Ghost." This comes first and 
wisdom second. In the Pentecostal church wealth did not count. 
There was no such thing and is no such thing in a pentecostal 
church today as a worldly "church boss" controlling God's spir- 
itual kingdom and cause. Men were not sought to carry on church 
offices because they had money. (3) ''Wisdom." They were 
not only to have a good reputation and a sanctified heart, but 
also to have wisdom. Not every good man is fit for every office 
in the church. And a holy man will not sulk because some one 
else is put into office. A man may be good and yet not be great. 
When a man is found with these three qualities, a good rijputa- 
tion, a good experience and a good faculty for business, he is a 
most valuable man for any church or community to have. 

Notice the reason that the apostles wanted these deacons or 
assistants appointed — that they might have time for two things — 
(1) prayer. Having to spend so much time "serving tables," 
helping the poor, they had little time for prayer. It says, ' ' prayer 
and to the ministry of the Word. ' ' They put prayer first and the 
ministry of the word second. Prayer in their estimation was of 
more importance than preparing sermons. It is not so considered 
in these days. If it were we should have schools to teach our young 
people how to pray as well as schools to teach them how to preach. 
Why should there not be schools for prayer as weU as for Bible 
study? Prayer is the great business of the preacher, according 
to this. (2) "The ministry of the word." The apostles believed 
in having time to properly minister the word. They could not 
do it properly when harassed with other cares. Those who make 
a specialty of presenting the word should have a special time for 
special preparation of this specialty. 

This saying pleased everybody. And so the matter which 
seemed about to cause trouble was harmoniously adjusted by the 
apostles turning it over to the church themselves, instead of trying 
to be "lords over God's heritage." (See 1 Peter 5:3.) How 
different this from the Eoman Catholic method of having the 
clergy rule. It is noticeable that the men the church chose had 
Greek names, thus indicating that they were Greeks. Thus the 
Grecians who had made the complaint were allowed to administer 
the money. 



70 



COMMENTARY ON 



Stephen is the first name, and his character is especially men- 
tioned, we suppose, because he was so soon to become conspicuous 
by martyrdom. All the others were full of the Holy Ghost as 
well, according to verse 3. Stephen and Philip are the only two 
especially mentioned afterwards. It does not follow that God 
will make a leader of us like Stephen and Philip if we are full of 
the Holy Ghost. He will qualify us for our place in life, however. 
It says of Stephen that he was ''full of faith and the Holy 
Ghost. ' ' It says of Barnabas in Chapter 11 that he was ' ' full of 
the Holy Ghost and faith ; ' ' the qualities are reversed. A man 
could not be filled with one and not be filled with the other. 

When the church had chosen these men for deacons or assistants 
they set them before the apostles, who ordained them by the laying 
on of hands. This is the first instance in the New Testament of 
the form of ordination, although virtually the same thing had been 
practiced in the Old Testament. (See Gen. 48:14.) It is the formal 
outward expression of the blessing imparted by God and the church 
to those who are proper candidates. Some go through the form 
but get nothing because they are not in the will of God, nor 
qualified in heart to receive spiritual blessing. 

Now that the opposers had relaxed their opposition by the 
advice of Gamaliel, the cause began to get in favor with the 
people, and there were many converts and among them a great com- 
pany of priests. But this did not continue long. Our holy re- 
ligion is nothing if it does not attack sin. It is salt. It will 
attack every form of corruption in its neighborhood. Some people 
fail to comprehend this, and talk of preaching holiness in such a 
way as to create no opposition. As soon think of a red hot iron 
causing no opposition when thrust into cold water. It is in the 
nature of holiness to attack error and it would not be holiness 
if it did not. So for awhile holiness was popular. It always is 
when taken on its own merits and when it does not conflict with 
the sins of mankind. But it was now to have the first real 
conflict with Phariseeism. It has had many since that time. 
Phariseeism was and is today the greatest foe of holiness. (See 
verses 11-15 and Chapter 7.) 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



71 



THE SPIRIT DEVELOPS TALENT IN SUCH A CHURCH. 
Vs. 8-10. 

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and 
miracles among the people. 

9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the 
synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of 
them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 

10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by 
which he spake. 

Whenever the Spirit of God fills a church membership, it is 
wonderful how the gifts and talents latent in men are developed. 
There probably never was a general, genuine revival that did not 
raise up preachers, and other workers. When a denomination 
runs short of preachers it is because it has lost the Holy Spirit. 
When a church cannot find class leaders and Sunday School 
teachers, it has lost the Spirit. So we see in this Spirit-filled 
church, Stephen raised up and his natural gift of preaching 
which had been latent, set on fire, so that his adversaries could not 
resist his wisdom. Stephen was a Greek, not a Hebrew, and his 
enemies the Pharisees were doubtless all the more enraged be- 
cause of that fact. He seems to get a better glimpse under the 
Spirit's illumination of the radical, revolutionary character of 
Christianity than Peter, the Hebrew, yet ' * the careful student 
will find in Stephen's plea the germs of the doctrines of universal 
sin and universal grace of which Paul became the most dis- 
tinguished exponent and which, I believe, he learned from the 
martyred Stephen. Though his address only inculcates what 
Christ taught in his first sermon (Luke 4:21-27) by a similar 
historical argument, it marks the practical transition of Chris- 
tianity from a reformation of Judaism to a world-wide religion, 
and is thus almost the most important of the speeches reported 
in the Book of Acts." 

SUCH A CHURCH BRINGS UPON ITSELF PERSECUTION. 
Vs. 11-15. 

11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak 
blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 



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12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, 
and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 

13 And set up false witnesses, which said. This man ceaseth not 
to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law : 

14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall 
destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered 
us. 

15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw 
his face as it had been the face of an angel. 

We may say all we please about being so good and boly, and 
preaching the doctrine so judiciously as not to offend, but let us 
not forget that the Bible describes the nature of sin and holiness 
by saying, ''All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall 
suffer persecution." The devil will not leave a flourishing gen- 
uinely holy church alone. These opposers could not answer 
Stephen's argument, so they resort to persecution. When men 
have to resort to persecution, calling names and personal abuse, 
it is because they have no argument and this has been quite 
often the case in opposing holiness. So these depraved Libertines 
and Alexandrians formed a conspiracy by finding false witnesses 
to accuse Stephen of uttering blasphemy. It was an unjust charge. 
We sometimes say when we see the unjust attacks and false charges 
made against holiness that people use unfair methods, and so they 
do. It is one of the traits of the carnal mind. Truth rarely 
has a fair treatment. Notice that Jesus received similar treat- 
ment. Stephen was accused of saying that Jesus would destroy 
Jerusalem. Jesus was accused of declaring that he would destroy 
the temple. Stephen's speech doubtless was a statement of the 
new religion that was to change the old order of things and 
reform Judaism and they distorted it as people usually do who 
fight the truth. It is difficult to fairly and candidly quote 
an enemy. 

The best thing of the whole business was that Stephen had 
the indwelling Spirit that shone out of his face. God puts a 
shine on the faces of his saints today who reaUy have the holy 
fire in their hearts. John the Baptist was a burning and a 
shining light. He had to burn before he shone. So wdll we. There 
is an unearthly radiance in a person who is really filled with the 
Holy Ghost. 



CHAPTER VII. 



A HOLY MAN'S DEFENCE. 

It Is Scriptural. Vs. 1-50. Attacks Sin. Vs. 51-53. The Result. 
Vs. 54-60. 

IT IS SCEIPTUEAL. Vs. 1-50. 

1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 

2 And he said. Men. brethren, and fathers, hearken ; The God of 
glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, 
before he dwelt in Charran, 

3 And said unto hiii.,"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy 
kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 

4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldseans, and dwelt in 
Charran : and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him 
into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 

5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to 
set his foot on ; yet he promised that he would give it to him for a 
possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 

6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a 
strange land ; and that they should bring them into bondage, and 
entreat them evil four hundred years. 

7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, 
said God : and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this 
place. 

8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision : and so Abraham 
begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ; and Isaac hegat 
Jacob ; and Jacob hegat the twelve patriarchs. 

9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt : 
but God was with him, 

10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour 
and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; and he made hirn 
governor over Egypt and all bis house. 

11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and 
Chanaan, and great affliction : and our fathers found no sustenance. 

12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent 
out our fathers first. 

13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren ; 
and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 



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14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jaeob to Mm, and all 
his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 

15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 

16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre 
that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the 
father of Sychem. 

17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had 
sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 

18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 

19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated 
our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they 
might not live. 

20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and 
nourished up in his father's house three months : 

21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, 
and nourished him for her own son. 

22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and 
was mighty in words and in deeds. 

23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to 
visit his brethren the children of Israel. 

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and 
avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian : 

25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that 
God by his hand would deliver them : but they understood not. 

26 And the next day he shewed, himself unto them as they strove, 
and would have set them at one again, saying. Sirs, ye are brethren ; 
why do ye wrong one to another? 

27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, 
Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 

28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 

29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land 
of Madian, where he begat two sons. 

30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in 
the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire 
in a bush. 

31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight : and as he drew 
near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 

32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, 
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, 
and durst not behold. 

3l3 Then said the Lord to him. Put off thy shoes from thy feet : 
for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 

34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which 
is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down 
to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 

35 This Moses whom they refused saying. Who made thee a 
ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be sl ruler and a deliverer 
by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



75 



36 He brought them out, after that he had shewe< wonders and 
signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilder- 
ness forty years. 

37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, 
A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your breth- 
ren, like unto me ; him shall ye hear. 

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the 
angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and icith our fathers : 
who received the lively oracles to give unto us : 

39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust Mm from 
them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 

40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us : for as for 
this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not 
what is become of him. 

41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto 
the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own bands. 

42 Then Grod turned and gave them up to worship the host of 
heaven ; as it is written in the book oft the prophets. O ye house of 
Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices the space 
of forty years in the wilderness? 

43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of 
your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them : and I 
will carry you away beyond Babylon. 

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, 
as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it 
according to the fashion that he had seen. 

45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus 
into- the possession of the Gentiles, whom Grod drave out before the 
face of our fathers, unto the days of David ; 

46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle 
for the God of Jacob. 

47 But Solomon built him an house. 

48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with 
hands ; as saith the prophet, 

49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool : what house 
will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 

50 Hath not my hand made all these things? 

By consulting the preceding chapter we shall see that Stephen 
had been charged by false witnesses with having blasphemed, 
and had been brought before the Jewish council for trial. He 
does not apparently defend himself, but makes it an opportunity 
to preach the truth to them. Notice his address is almost wholly 
composed of Scripture. He does not confine himself to exact 
Scripture quotations, but narrates Hebrew history. He keeps 
on with his scriptural quotations until he comes to verse 37, which 



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shows that Moses prophesied of Jesus. He thus shows them, that 
in rejecting Jesus, they were also rejecting Moses. And the 
approval of Moses whom they believed establishes the Messiahship 
of Jesus. And Stephen was not guilty after all of blasphemy in 
preaching Jesus, whom their own Moses had foretold. Thus he 
preached the Gospel, shows how it is related to Judaism and de- 
fends himself at the same time. For the deity and Messiahship 
of Jesus being established, the charges against Stephen fall to 
the ground. Let us look more closely at the sermon. 

He begins by telling them that the God of glory (the God 
who appeared in the glory of Shechinah. Ex. 40:34) appeared 
to Abraham, the founder of their church, when he dwelt in 
Mesopotamia. He describes the divine command to Abraham to 
leave his native land and go to Canaan; that God would not give 
him even a place to plant his feet, and yet promised it to him 
and his descendants as a future possession, when as yet he had 
no children. So he goes on telling of the selling of Joseph into 
Egypt, the famine and the removal of Jacob and family into 
Egypt and the oppression of Israel by Pharaoh; their deliverance 
by Moses; the prophecy of Moses concerning the Messiah; the 
backslidings of Israel; the establishment of the nation; the 
building of the temple. But God had been worshipped before 
the temple was built. ' ' The worship of God went on under Moses, 
Joshua, Samuel and David, before the temple was built; how could 
the destruction of the temple be a destruction of true worship, 
or Stephen's prophecy of its destruction be accounted blasphemy 
against God?" This is Stephen's argument against the charge of 
Chapter 6, Verse 14. A long argument, but irrefutable. We 
learn from this that holy people have the right to defend them- 
selves. 

IT ATTACKS SIN. Vs. 51-53. 

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do 
always resist the Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye. 

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers pesecuted? and 
they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just 
One ; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers : 

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and 
have not kept it. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



77 



Some people have misinterpreted holiness and seem to think 
it is whoUy passive and mild and lets evil go unprotested; that 
it is a kind of sweetish disposition without any iron m the blood, 
or backbone, and if they hear error attacked or Phariseeism, 
they cry, ' ' Sour holiness. ' ' But Stephen was a man filled with 
the Holy Ghost and ivisdom, too, and he attacked Phariseeism. 
So a man may be holy and yet be a rebuker of sin. He calls them 
' ' stiff-necked. ' ' The reference is to an ox who is stubborn and 
refuses to bend his neck when the attempt is made to put on the 
yoke. These people were stubborn and refused to yield to the 
truth. He also calls them " uncireumeised in heart and ears." 
Circumcision in the Bible is the type of entire sanctification, when 
the heart is circumcised the principle of carnality is removed and 
our love is made perfect. Uncircumcision of heart is the heart 
with the carnal nature or in other words, the carnal heart. When 
a man 's heart is carnal, the ears of his soul are also carnal. He 
cannot comprehend or understand spiritual truth. That is the 
reason so many fail to see holiness in the Bible. Their ears are 
uncircumcised. 

These people always resisted the Holy G-host, and so did their 
fathers. Here we have several truths brought out. We see here 
that the Holy Spirit is a person, whose operations may be resisted. 
In Chapter V, Ananias lied to him. These people resisted him. 
The fathers of these people as well as themselves resisted the 
Spirit. This shows that the Holy Spirit worked on human hearts 
in the Old Dispensation, So we learn that the Holy Ghost worked 
to some extent in the Old Testament Dispensation, though not 
to that extent that he works now in this dispensation which is 
preeminently his. 

"Which of the prophets have not your fathers slain?" Notice 
the difference. He began his speech with otir father Abraham. 
He says in verse 44, ' ' Our father, ' ' but now says ' ' Your 
fathers." He separates himself from their association. He does 
not belong to that unspiritual class in the church that seeks in all 
ages to kill those who are true ambassadors of God. Their father 
was the devil and Stephen did not belong to that family. Jesus 
made the same distinction where he said, ' ' Ye are of your father, 
the devil, and the deeds of your father ye will do." Their an- 



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cestors had slain the prophets who foretold the advent of the 
Just One, the Messiah, and they had imitated their fathers and 
slain the Just One himself. This council were the betrayers of 
Jesus a few weeks before by assisting Judas in his betrayal of 
Jesus, and his murderers by inciting Pilate to unjustly crucify 
him, and urging the mob to cry, ''Crucify him." Both Judas 
and Pilate were the tools of this council. 

He then makes the accusation that they had ''received the 
law by the disposition of angels and had not kept it. ' ' The 
Jews believed that when God gave the law to Moses, a great 
company of angels gave the law to Moses. Josephus tells us that 
Herod, in an address to the Jews, said, "We have learned from 
God the most excellent of our doctrines and the most holy part of 
our law, by angels as ambassadors. ' ' There are several passages 
of Scripture that teach this. In the Septuagint version of the Old 
Testament in Deut. 33:2, describing the giving of the law, the 
passage "from his right hand went a fiery law," is translated, 
"on his right hand angels with him." In Psalms 68:17 is, "The 
chariots of the Lord are twenty thousand, even thousands of 
angels. The Lord is among them as in Sinai, the holy place. ' ' 
See also Gal. 3:19 and Heb. 1:2. He hits them hard again by 
saying, ' ' and have not kept it. ' ' They gloried in the law of 
God and Stephen accuses them of not keeping the law in which 
they gloried. 

THE RESULT. Vs. 54-60. 

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and 
they gnashed on him with their teeth. 

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into 
heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right 
hand of God, 

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of 
man standing on the right hand of God. 

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their 
ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the wit- 
nesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name 
was Saul. 

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying Lord 
Jesus, receive my spirit. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



79 



60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

"When they heard these things they were cut to the heart." 
For the difference between the two expressions "pricked to the 
heart" and "cut to the heart," see our comments on Chapter 
2:37 and Chapter 5:33. The literal translation is "they were 
sawed asunder. ' ' The Holy Spirit accompanied the message 
of this Spirit-filled man and convicted his hearers. People who 
resist the Holy Spirit and fight against him, usually fight his 
messengers. So when people are angry with us for declaring the 
truth, it is because they are angry with him who inspires and 
sends us as his messengers. They ' ' gnashed upon him with their 
teeth. ' ' When men grind their teeth with rage it is because they 
are very angry. Jesus says there will be gnashing of the teeth 
in hell. Men will have the same rage in hell that they have on 
earth. Our moral condition will be the same in both worlds. 
As death leaves us eternity will receive us. 

But what did Stephen care for the rage of his enemies or 
the showers of stones. He was full of the Holy Ghost. When a 
man is thus filled nothing can daunt him. God filled the martyrs 
of old time with the Holy Ghost and they died amidst the crack- 
lings of the fires in holy triumph, without seeming to mind the 
agony and pains of the flames. This man filled with the Holy 
Ghost looked clear into heaven before he got there. We have heard 
of dying men in these days, filled with the Holy Ghost, who looked 
into heaven. He no longer saw the council, for he saw the glory 
of God and Jesus. When a man sees these, he loses sight of all 
enemies and opposition. If you whine because of opposition, it 
is because you do not see the glory of God. * ' Since my eyes were 
fixed on Jesus, I've lost sight of all beside." 

He testified that he saw "Jesus standing at the right hand of 
God. ' ■ No wonder it enraged their wicked natures to have this 
Jesus, whom they had crucified, now brought to their thought. 
They thought they had got rid of Jesus, and here was a man de- 
claring that he was standing at the right hand of God. Jesus is 
usually represented as sitting at the right hand of God. But here 
he is represented as arising to welcome the first martyr of the 
Pentecostal church. "Stephen under accusation of blaspheming 



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COMMENTx\RY ON 



the earthly temple, is granted a. sight of the heavenly temple ; being 
cited before the Sadducaie high priest, who believed neither angel 
nor spirit, he is vouchsafed a vision of the heavenly high priest, 
standing and ministering at the throne, amidst the angels and 
spirits of just men made perfect." (Alford.) He calls Jesus 
"The Son of Man." This is the same title that Jesus had given 
himself when he was tried before the same council. (Matt. 26:64.) 
Jesus is called the Son of Man because he was the ideal man — 
the second Adam. He is so human that he is touched with the feel- 
ings of our infirmities. And this human Son of Man is before 
the throne to plead for us. This revelation shows how near the 
spirit world is to us. His hearers did not wait to pass a judicial 
sentence. The council broke up into a mob and killed him. It 
was really the only way they could do it, as the Roman govern- 
ment had taken away the power to execute criminals. Stoning was 
the especial punishment for the crime of blasphemy. (Lev. 24:14.) 
Paul tells the mob later (Acts 22:18) that he was present and 
held the raiment of those who stoned Stephen. So Paul was the 
young man here called Saul. He took the clothes for safe keeping. 
The Sanhedrim gave this Saul a commission later to persecute all 
Christians. (Chapter 9:1-2.) 

So this first martyr died, "calling upon God" — not on 
any saint or the Virgin Mary. Being filled with the Holy Ghost, 
of course he prayed to the right parties. So he made no mistake 
in the matter. He did not imagine he saw Jesus. It was real. 
A man full of the Holy Ghost would describe things correctly. 

Notice his two-fold prayer. It was (1) "Lord Jesus, re- 
ceive my spirit," and (2) "Lay not this sin to their charge." 
This was similar to the dying prayer of Jesus. (Luke 23:34-46.) 
Some people have asserted that Stephen was angry when he ac- 
cused the council of being stiff-necked and uneircumcised in heart 
and ears. But his dying prayer proves that he was not. Holy 
people are often accused of being angry when their message 
angers other people. The phrase, "Lay not this sin to their 
charge," should be translated, "Weigh not against them, this 
sin." "When thou, the Judge of all, weighest their actions in 
thy balance, do not place this sin in the scale against them." 
Saul as the record telle us later, evidently was put under convic- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



81 



tion by the triumphant death of Stephen. And this prayer of 
Stephen was evidently heard and answered in Saul's conversion. 

This man filled with the Spirit and calmly commending his 
spirit into the hands of the Lord Jesus, is a death blow to the 
Eoman Catholic doctrine of purgatory that the soul must go 
through with its torturing fires. A man full of the Holy Ghost 
needs no purgatory to purify him. The blood of Jesus Christ that 
cleanses from all sin is all the purgatory that we need and all 
that there is. And so the first Christian martyr died like his Lord 
in holy triumph. "He fell asleep." Death is likened to a sleep 
in all ages and by writers of all kinds — both religious and secular. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



PERSECUTION HELPS THE CAUSE. 

The Persecution. Vs. 1-4. The Persecution Helped Samaria. Vs. 
5-24. The Persecution Helped Ethiopia. Vs. 25-40. 

THE PERSECUTION. Vs. 1-4. 

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time 
there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jeru- 
salem ; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of 
Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his 'burial, and made great 
lamentation over him. 

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into 
every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where 
preaching the word. 

The church had settled down in its nest having a delightful, 
easy time. The influence of the apostles and the church had been 
greatly augmented by the healing of the lame man. Great num- 
bers were joining the ranks of the apostles. The work had even 
spread among the priesthood, and a great number of them had 
been converted. Christianity was becoming very popular. If 
they had had their way the disciples would have remained at 
Jerusalem and the cause would have died there of dry rot. But 
Christianity is an aggressive religion. Holiness is salt and vrill 
attack the corruption in its neighborhood. If it remains popular 
for too long a time in the neighborhood of sin something is 
decidedly wrong with it. When holiness first sounds its message 
in a community in these days there are many who misunderstand 
it and take sides at once against it, thinking it fanaticism. They 
circulate false stories, saying its advocates claim that they can 
not sin, or be tempted, etc. After these errors are dispelled, it 
becomes popular for a time, until men begin to see that it means 



83 



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COMMENTARY ON 



deatb to the carnal mind and that it costs a complete sacrifice 
of themselves. Then the war begins. The Pentecostal church 
had reached this stage. Ungodly ecclesiasticism proposed to 
stamp it out. The war was on. Stephen led in the battle and 
sealed his testimony with his blood. "The blood of the martyrs 
is the seed of the church. ' ' All good causes flourish best when 
most persecuted. This is the teaching of history. The fierce per- 
secutions of the church kept it from settling down in Jerusalem, 
but scattered it all over the known world. It was like scattering 
a fire. Like fire brands, they set new fires everywhere they went. 

Saul is especially mentioned here because after he held the 
clothes of the dying Stephen, he led in the persecution of the 
church. Luke (the writer) also mentions it because he wants his 
read^s to be more fully prepared to appreciate the great change 
wrought in Saul when he was converted, (See Chapter IX.) 
Saul was ''consenting" to the death of Stephen. It reads in the 
Greek, ' ' Saul was taking pleasure in the death of Stephen. ' ' He 
thought he was doing God service (Acts 24:16) and so it gave 
him pleasure to see Stephen, whom he esteemed a blasphemer, 
put to death. 

No doubt the mob having killed Stephen, became bloodthirsty 
and began to break up and disperse the meetings of the disciples. 
Consequently the leaders all fled except the twelve apostles, who 
remained at Jerusalem. No doubt the twelve remained at Jeru- 
salem because they did not consider the persecution as anything 
but temporary. 

Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great 
lamentation over him. No doubt they thought the cause was 
overthrown because their most brilliant orator had been put to 
death. But ' ' God buries his workmen but carries the work on. ' ' 
A young man destined to be the greatest religious leader the 
world ever saw was convicted by the death and testimony of 
Stephen, and was not able to throw the conviction off. How 
wonderfully God carries his work on! When the cause again 
and again seems overthrown, new vigor comes out of the defeat. 
So when leaders in the cause die let us not be discouraged. God 
is more interested to raise up leaders than we possibly can be. 

But Saul raged like a wild animal. That is the original mean- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



85 



ing of the "words ' ' Made havock. ' ' He even entered private houses 
in his zeal to hunt out those whom he considered heretics. He never 
did things by halves. He was determined to stamp out this sect 
of Nazarenes. But the scattered church preached everywhere 
they went. They had an experience that they told everywhere. 
Eeal salvation is an experience too big to keep to one's self. 

THE PERSECUTION HELPED SAMAEIA. Vs. 5-24. 

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached 
Qirist unto them. 

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things 
which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many 
that were possessed icWi them: and many taken with palsies, and that 
were lame, were healed. 

8 And there was great joy in that city. 

9 But there was a certain man. called Simon, which beforetime 
in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, 
giving out that himself was some great one : 

10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, 
saying, This man is the great power of God. 

11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had 
bewitched them with sorceries. 

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concern- 
ing the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were 
baptized, both men and women. 

13 Then Simon himself believed also : and when he was baptized, 
he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and 
signs which were done. 

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that 
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter 
and John : 

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they 
might receive the Holy Ghost : 

16 (For as yet he v\'as fallen upon none of them : only they were 
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the 
Holy Ghost. 

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' 
hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay 
hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 

20 But Peter said unto him. Thy money perish with thee, be- 
cause thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with 
money. 



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COMMENTARY ON 



21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter : for thy heart is 
not right in the sight of God. 

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if per- 
haps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 

23 For I perceive that tliou art in the gall of bitterness, and in 
the bond of iniquity. 

24 Then answered Simon, and said. Pray ye to the Lord for me, 
that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 

It helped other places, of course, as they went preaching every- 
where, but we have in this chapter the specific account of its 
helpfulness in Samaria and Ethiopia. We must call to remem- 
brance what Samaria was in order to fully understand and appre- 
ciate the account of deacon Philip's revival there. By reading 
John 4:9 we find that the Jews and Samaritans were not on good 
terms. They were a mixed race of Jew-s and heathen. They 
thought they had the true religion and that God could be 
worshipped only in their temples on Mt. Gerizim. By reading 
John 4:25 we find that they believed that the Messiah would 
come. Jesus had a great revival there (See John 4) about six 
years before this, so they were ready to receive Philip. It will be 
noticed that the gospel did spread exactly as Jesus had said, "in 
Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the utter- 
most parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8.) It went in that exact 
order. It came next (and now) to Samaria after it had been 
preached in Jerusalem and Judea. 

Philip had a two-fold influence upon them — in his message con- 
cerning the Messiah and in the signs and wonders which he 
wrought. Now resulted a genuine revival as may be clearly 
proved. By verse 12 it is seen that they believed and were bap- 
tized as a profession of their faith and there was great joy in that 
city. (Vs. 8.) These are certainly the characteristics of a genuine 
revival. If these people were not in a saved condition, whoever 
was in such a condition? 

There was an eminent sorcerer in the city by the name of 
Simon. He had performed many tricks and feats of jugglery, and 
had excited the wonder of the people, but had not ' ' bewitched ' ' 
them, as the Authorized Version puts it. He professed to be a 
great man and the people thought so too. As the revival swept on 
and many were saved, Simon also believed. He thought Philip was 



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in league with some strong spirit, and he wanted to join the 
league. Probably there never was a large revival that did not 
take in some who make a mere outward profession, from the wrong 
motives. Who fail to understand the nature of true religion. 
Then they are taken into the church and help load it down. That 
is one great reason why we need to preach very searching ser- 
mons on the different phases of real salvation. And it is one 
reason why so many church members fight holiness — they have 
never been regenerated. So Simon was baptized and joined him- 
self to Philip as an assistant probably. Note another proof that 
it was a genuine revival. The apostles at Jerusalem heard "that 
Samaria had received the Word of God. ' ' It was generally under- 
stood by the church that it was a genuine work of grace. 

When the apostles heard of this revival they sent Peter and 
John to Samaria that these people who had already believed and 
had been baptized might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. So 
we see that they were not sinners but believers. Sinners are not 
eligible to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This passage alone 
ought to forever silence those who say we ' * get all there is at 
conversion." A careful study of the New Testament will show 
that there was always in that day a second work of confirmation 
that the church insisted upon after a company of people had been 
converted. The form of it still remains in the definite adminis- 
tration of the rite of confirmation in the Eoman Catholic and 
Episcopal churches of today. Confirmation on Easter is the fossil 
remains of what was once the form of receiving the definite ex- 
perience of entire sanctification. It was and is always admin- 
istered to those who have already heen baptized and are recog- 
nised as Christians. It is strange that any should deny the second 
work, entire sanctification, with an open Bible. Those who wish 
to study the matter of confirmation still farther, should read the 
passages which show that Paul in his second visits to churches, 
went for the purpose of confirming them. (See Acts 14:22 ; 15 :41 ; 
18:23; 2 Cor. 1:15.) A careful study of the rite of confirmation 
in the Roman Catholic Church, which is the backslidden church 
of Pentecost, will show the essential features of the second bless- 
ing. It is publicly stated in the performance of this rite that 
the candidate receives the power to become * ' a perfect Christian. ' ' 



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The bishop anoints the forehead of the candidate with oil, which is 
the symbol of the Holy Spirit and his work. 

When Peter and John had come to these converts, they prayed 
for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Here we learn 
that it is right and Scriptural to pray for people that they may 
receive the Holy Ghost. This was nothing more essentially than 
the same kind of a service as a modern Altar Service for seekers 
of entire sanctification, for a careful study of Acts 15:9 shows 
that in receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, the heart is purified. 
So here we have Scriptural warrant for the modern Holiness Move- 
ment and its methods. So then a person may be baptized in the 
name of the Lord Jesus and therefore be saved and yet need to 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Having prayed for these converts, the apostles laid their hands 
upon them and they received the Holy Ghost. We have already 
spoken of the laying on of hands in Chapter 6:6 (See our com- 
ments there). The Holy Ghost came on the company in the 
upper room, without any hands being laid upon them. So that 
this form is not essential. 

One of the very best methods of testing the genuineness of 
the conversion of a church is to preach the second work of grace. 
It will search out those, who are not really converted. So the 
preaching of ''the Second Blessing" often discloses who has not 
got the first. Simon offered the apostles money if they would 
give him the power to impart the Holy Ghost. The term Simony 
is derived from this act. It means the buying and selling of 
office in the church. 

Peter replied, ' ' Thy money perish with thee because thou hast 
thought, ' ' His thought or purpose is condemned, not the act. He 
had purposed in his heart. He had not performed the act. Here 
we learn that God condemns men for the purposes of the heart, 
even when they have not committed any act of sin. Simon thought 
the blessing could be bought with money. Those who think it can 
be obtained in any other way — either by money, struggles or good 
works — are like Simon. All salvation is obtained by faith. All 
that some people want of the Spirit today is his help. They do 
not desire him as a constant abiding guest. They just want him 
for what they can get from him. It is profit with them and not 



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communioii and fellowsMp. Some churches want the Holy Spirit 
to help them in the week of prayer or during revival meetings, 
but the rest of the year they do not seem to act as if there was a 
Holy Spirit, as they indulge in their worldly matters of enter- 
tainment and financial methods. 

Peter told him that he had neither part nor lot in the Gospel. 
''If there is any difference in the words 'part' and 'lot,' the 
fiLTst indicates a part already assigned; the second, one yet to be 
assigned. The first then would indicate that Simon had no present 
portion in Christian gifts; the second, no future inheritance of 
the saints. ' ' 

"For thy heart is not right in the sight of G-od. " The word 
right here means straigM. His heart was crooked. It had inbred 
sin. Simon's outward behavior was aU right. He had been bap- 
tized, and baptized by the apostles, too. Let those religious teachers 
who assert that baptism regenerates or makes a man a Christian, 
please note that this man had been baptized in the most approved 
and scriptural manner, and it had not affected his heart. It was 
still wrong. Let those who make much of the gift of the Spii'it, 
as power for service and little or nothing of the cleansing of the 
heart, note that this man did not get the gift of the Spirit because 
his motives were not right. Note, too, that it was ' ' not right ' ' in 
ihe sight of God. We may be right in the sight of men, because 
they can not see the heart, but we must be right in the sight of God, 
or we can not be accepted. 

"E^pent therefore of this thy wickedness." To repent here 
as in Chapter 3:19 means to change the mind. "If perhaps the 
thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ' ' We need to repent 
of wicked thoughts as well as wicked acts and words. Peter is not 
a judge of what sins the Lord will forgive, but says, "If perhaps 
the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven." He likens sin to 
' ' the gaU of bitterness and bond of iniquity. ' ' These are expressive 
figures. Certainly sin is a bitter thing, and iniquity is the bond 
by which Satan binds the sinner. Simon asked Peter to pray for 
him, lest punishment fall upon him. There is no penitence in his 
prayer, but simply a dread of punishment. To sum up the ease of 
Simon we see that the externals of religion, such as baptism, church 
membership and other outward forms, avail nothing if our hearts 
are not right. 



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THE PERSECUTION HELPED ETHIOPIA. Vs. 25-40. 

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of 
the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many 
villages of the Samaritans. 

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, 
and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem 
unto Gaza, which is desert. 

27 And he arose and went : and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an 
eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who 
had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to 
worship. 

28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the 
prophet. 

29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself 
to this chariot. 

30 And Philip ran thither to Mm, and heard him read the prophet 
Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 

31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? 
And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 

32 The place of the scripture which he read was this. He was led 
as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb dumb before his shear- 
er, so opened he not his mouth : 

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : and who shall 
declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of 
whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scrip- 
ture, and preached unto him Jesus. 

36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain wa- 
ter : and the eunuch said. See, Jiere is water ; what doth hinder me 
to be baptized? 

37 And Philip said. If thou believest with all thine heart, thou 
mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God. 

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went 
down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; and he baptized 
Mm. 

39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of 
the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more : and 
he went on his way rejoicing. 

40 But Philip was found at Azotus : and passing through he 
preached in all the cities, till he came to Csesarea. 

Philip is called TJie Evcmgelist, to distinguish him from the 
Apostle Philip. We have just seen how he carried the gospel into 
Samaria and we now see how he became the instriiment in carrying 



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91 



it into the continent of Africa. The apostles preached through 
many villages of the Samaritans. And now notice how wonderful 
the means used to introduce the gospel into Africa. 

An angel of the Lord told Philip to go south from Jerusalem to 
the road that lead from Jerusalem to Gaza. This was a city in the 
southernmost part of Canaan (Gen. 10:19). The road led through 
a desert. Philip obeyed the angel and went. Later he got a com- 
munication from the Holy Spirit himself. Vs. 29. If we obey 
the light we first get, we will have still greater light and fuller 
communication. Although the place was desert, yet Philip obeyed 
without stopping to ask, ' ' What will be my salary, how will I get 
a support in a desert? or how long will be my summer vacation?" 
It being a desert way, the Eunuch and Philip had better opportunity 
for conversation. 

When Philip reached the place he found a man, the treasurer of 
Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia, riding in a chariot, busily engaged 
in reading the book of Isaiah. He was doubtless a Jewish proselyte 
who had been up to Jerusalem to worship. He was now returning 
home engaged in devout study of the Scriptures, and hungry for 
salvation. Let us notice more particularly some of the lessons 
taught here. 

1. Philip obeyed the light already given and as the result got 
more and clearer light. An angel of the Lord came to him and 
said, * ' Arise and go towards the South unto the way that goeth 
down from Jerusalem imto Gaza, which is desert. ' ' The word angel 
means messenger. As those heavenly seraphim and cherubim who 
surround the throne of God do his bidding and carry his messages, 
they are called angels. God has other messengers or angels. Any 
one who carries his message is an angel. The messages to the seven 
churches of Asia, were sent to the angel or preacher of that church, 
for instance (See Eev. 2:1). We are to obey the message God 
sends to us. Philip might have said, ''Lord, that is a desert place 
and there is no opportunity to do much there. I have just had a 
great revival at Samaria that swept in the whole city and now it 
would be a great come down to go to a desert. I am worthy of a 
better place. It is below my grade. ' ' It takes a good deal of 
grace and humility to step down into a smaller place. Few have 
grace enough to do it cheerfully. But if Philip had refused ha 



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COMMENTARY ON 



would have missed a great opportunity. Nor did he say, ''How 
much will be my salary? Will I get any in that desert place? And 
how long will be my summer vacation ? ' ' Some preachers are afraid 
if they go to Hard scrabble that they will starve. Or they are 
afraid stingy people will take advantage of them if they do not 
fix a price. No preacher that the Lord called to preach ever starved 
to death. If one person is stingy, God will raise up two others 
in their place that will make it up. If God wants a man in the 
field, covetous, stingy people can not keep him out of it. Men can 
not upset God's plans in that way. So Philip obeyed and as he 
came to the road he met his audience, one man, and "the Spirit 
told him to go and join himself to the chariot. " It is not the size 
of the congregation that counts in the sight of God. He obeyed 
the ajigel and now he gets the greater light from the Spirit. Thus 
obedience to light brings clearer light. 2. God mes human agency 
m savmff men. This is his method. The great man was reading 
a book that he could not understand and needed instruction. So 
the truth must not only be in the Bible, but it must be voiced by 
human lips. God might have had an angel do it. But his method 
is to help man by man. So he sent Philip. Some people get so 
fanatical that they say they can get along without human teachers, 
for they have the Spirit. Well, God could have sent an angel to 
teach the Eunuch. Or the Spirit himself could have instructed him, 
but instead of that he told Philip to do it. God has given teachers 
as one of the spiritual gifts to his church and we must recognize 
them. 

This has ever been the divine method. When David committed 
his great sin, God sent a man to him to tell him, ''Thou art the 
man." When Saul of Tarsus was under conviction, God sent 
Ananias to comfort and help lead him into the light. God has com- 
mitted the ministry of reconciliation of God and man to mortals. 
Paul says that God "hath committed unto us the word of recon- 
ciliation." Truly does St. James say, "He that turneth a sinner 
from the error of his ways, shall save a soul from death 
and shall hide a multitude of sins. ' ' What a great work. 
3. We see the value of one soul. Here was a man, an 
honest inquirer after light, and God always looks after such 
souls. He would give such a man more light if he had 



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93 



to send Gabriel. One soul is precious in his sight. Some 
preachers can not preach unless they have a crowd. But the man 
whom God calls to preach is just as much under commission and 
duty to preach to a crowd of one as to a thousand. Sinners have 
a hard chance to get an invitation to hear the gospel in these days. 
The people let them alone because they say that is the duty of the 
preacher; he is hired to do it at so much a year. The preacher 
lets them alone because he feels called to preach, only when he is 
standing behind a pulpit of wood, and has a certain number of 
people before him. When he has read his little paper essay to 
them he feels that his commission is accomplished. Philip might 
have said, "Only one man! I can't preach." Some preachers 
leave their great sermons for the big crowd. Before a little crowd 
tibey are like a whale in shallow water. They have to be sub- 
merged in the personality of a big crowd to put forth zealous 
effort. Jesus Christ, the great preacher, delivered some of his best 
sermons to an audience of one — Nicodemus, and the woman of 
Samaria. So Philip went to this one soul and preached to him 
Jesus. This man had become puzzled over a passage in Isaiah which 
prophesied the sufferings of Jesus. Philip took this as a text from 
which to preach Jesus. So we see that the Old Testament furnishes 
good texts from which to preach Jesus, and get people saved. 
Many preachers use the Old Testament very little. So Philip ran 
up to the chariot and said, ' ' Understandest thou what thou 
readest? ' ' This is a good question to put to Bible readers of today. 
Philip did not begin his talk on the weather or the latest news. 
He went straight at his business. The man replied, "How can I 
except some man guide me?" Here was an honest inquirer and a 
Spirit-filled preacher. When two such come together salvation is 
sure to follow. A young preacher whose father was one of the 
chaplains of the Prince of Orange, was suddenly called by the 
prince to preach before him. With scarcely any preparation he 
took this incident of Philip and the Eunuch. He said that he 
found four wonders in this passage. ' * Wonder the first. A courtier 
reads. Wonder the second, a courtier reads the Bible. Wonder the 
tMrd, a courtier owns himself ignorant of the subject. Wonder the 
fowrth, a courtier applies to a minister of Christ for information, 
listens to his instruction and follows his counsel. ' ' 



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This man was reading Isaiah 53 and had come to verse 7, which 
perplexed him. The verse is: "He was lead as a sheep to the 
slaughter." This greatly puzzled the Ethiopian. He could not 
tell whether Isaiah spote of himself or some one else. It was a 
prophecy concerning Jesus, uttered seven centuries before it was 
fulfilled, and so unmistakably fulfilled in the experience of Jesus 
that it has been a most convincing proof to many Hebrews, and 
has led many of them to believe on Jesus. It was so clearly ful- 
filled in Jesus that one infidel (Bolingbroke) undertook to explain 
it by the ridiculous assertion that Jesus brought about his own 
crucifixion so as to fulfill this prophecy. Some of the Jews have 
asserted that the 53d chapter of Isaiah was a prophecy concerning 
Titus, the Roman Emperor, who destroyed Jerusalem. But there 
are very many predictions in it that had nothing at all corre- 
sponding to them in the experience of Titus. In this chapter there 
are eleven references to the vicarious death of Jesus. So Philip 
opened his mouth and preached unto him Jesus. He did not preach 
nbout Jesus, but preached Jems, with this passage as a text. He, 
of course, told him that faith in Jesus was the only way of salva- 
tion, and would bring salvation. He must have told him of the 
duty of baptism, for the man said, **Here is water; what doth 
hinder me to be baptized?" Here was the only one condition 
necessary — ''If thou believest with all thy heart" — not with the 
head; not a belief of the creed only. This verse, while containing 
the true idea, has been inserted evidently by some pious copyist, 
as it is not in the best Greek manuscripts. 

So Philip baptized him. There was no congregation present, 
and none is required. Oft times many modern baptisms with the 
curious crowd have more the form of a holiday show than of the 
profession of repentance and faith in the lowly Jesus. 

The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. He was gone and 
the Ethiopian had no occasion or temptation to worship him, nor 
was he there any more to receive thanks. It would be a good idea- 
after some modern revivals if some power would take the evangelist 
away very quickly. The Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing. 
' ' He no more saw, nor cared to see Philip, by reason of his joy. 
He who has read the Scripture and Christ can now dispense with 
a human guide. ' ' We learn here the use God makes of the human 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



95 



agent in the salvation of men. It is not enough to have the Bible 
and the Spirit. God has ordained the human teacher also. Notice 
the steps in the man 's experience. First he was going to Jerusalem 
to worship. He is led from worship to the Scriptures. Then from 
the study of the Scriptures to personal inquiry, and from inquiry to 
salvation. 

Notice too that God uses men to save men. He has seen fit to 
ordain it so. While we may get along with the Scriptures and the 
Holy Spirit, we can get along better if we have the teachers that 
God has ordained. Philip was not only an evangelist but also a 
teacher. God has put great honor on the teachers of religion. 
Some people a-ffect to put a sort of depreciation upon teachers, and 
put evangelists higher. But God wants more teachers. Jesus 
Christ in his ministry was a teacher. 

Tradition tells us that this Ethiopian carried the gospel news 
to his own country and a revival broke out there. And so we find 
that Jesus ' promise and prophecy that the gospel should be preached 
in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the 
earth was carried out just in the order that foretold (Acts 1:8). 
We now come to its being carried beyond Samaria. It has been 
going on throughout the world ever since. 



CHAPTER IX. 



PENTECOSTAL RESULTS. 

Pentecostal Conviction and Its Results. Vs. 1-30. Pentecostal 
Power. Vs. 31-43. 

PENTECOSTAL CONVICTION AND ITS RESULTS. Vs. 1-30. 

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against 
the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 

2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, 
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he 
might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus : and suddenly 
there shined round about him a light from heaven : 

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

5 And he said. Who art thou. Lord? And the Lord said, I am 
Jesus whom thou persecutest : it is hard for thee to kick against the 
pricks. 

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou 
have me to do? And the Lord said unto him. Arise, and go into the 
city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing 
a voice, but seeing no man. 

8 And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his eyes were opened, 
he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought Mm into 
Damascus. 

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor 
drink. 

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ana- 
nias ; and to him said the Lord in a" vision, Ananias. And he said. 
Behold, I am here. Lord. 

11 And the Lord said unto him. Arise, and go into the street 
which is called Straight, and enquire in the) house of Judas for one 
called Saul, of Tarsus ; for, behold, he prayeth, 

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, 
and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sght. 

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this 
man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem : 



97 



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COMMENTARY ON 



14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all 
that call on thy name. 

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he is a chosen 
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and 
the children of Israel : 

16 For I will shew him bow great things he must suffer for my 
name's sake. 

17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house ; and 
putting his hands on him said. Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, 
that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, 
that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy 
Ghost. 

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales : 
and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized, 

19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then 
was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 

20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that 
he is the Son of God. 

21 But all that heard Mm were amazed, and said : Is not this he 
that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and 
came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the 
chief priests? 

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the 
Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 

23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took coun- 
sel to kill him : 

24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched 
the gates day and night to kill him. 

25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the 
wall in a basket. 

26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join 
himself to the disciples : but they were all afraid of him, and be- 
lieved not that he was a disciple. 

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and 
declared unto them how he* had seen the Lord in the way, and that 
he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus 
in the name of Jesus. 

28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. 

29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and dis- 
puted against the Grecians : but they went about to slay him. 

30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to 
Csesarea, and sent him' forth to Tarsus. 

The conversion of St. Paul is, next to the Resurrection of Jesus, 
the most important miracle in the New Testament, The resurrec- 
tion of Jesus was a triumph in the material world whereby a dead 
body was brought to life. The conversion of Paul was a miracle 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



99 



in the spiritual realm whereby a dead soul was brought to life. 
The conversion of Paul was the result of the mighty conviction that 
came upon him when he saw the face of Stephen and heard his 
dying testimony, (Chapter 7:55-60.) We have, therefore, given 
to this chapter the title, Pentecostal Eesults. The church and indi- 
vidual, who like Stephen are filled with the Holy Ghost, will be a 
source of conviction to the unsaved. And so conviction struck Paul. 
Men can refuse to yield to God, but they cannot help themselves 
when it comes to the matter of conviction. God convicts all men by 
some means or other. And a Spirit-filled church or man is one of 
his agencies of conviction. The best way to have a revival among 
sinners is to get the church sanctified. Such poeple make sinners 
(and especially if they be church members) uncomfortable. This 
is the reason the experience of holiness always causes strife since 
the days of John the Baptist and Jesus. Saul (or Paul) became 
exceedingly angry after he heard the holy Stephen with shining 
face testify that he saw heaven opened. He afterwards said of his 
feelings against Christians at this time: ''I was exceedingly mad 
against them." (Acts 26:11.) There are three accounts of his 
conversion — this by Luke and two accounts by himself, which should 
be studied in connection with this. (See Chapter 22:1-11 and Chap- 
ter 26:8-18.) So then here are the links in the chain — the church 
filled with the Holy Ghost at Pentecost; Stephen (one of this Spirit- 
filled church), so testifying and shining as to strike Saul with con- 
viction; Saul (or Paul) becoming converted at just the time when 
a great leader of this great cause was a necessity; and the work 
wonderfully advancing under his leadership, God knew just the 
man fitted for the crisis. He always has the proper man for the 
hour. Paul was a man of the best education that the schools of that 
day could furnish and endowed with great intellectual powers, and a 
remarkably conscientious man, all his days. Even in persecuting 
the church he was conscientious. He was spiritually, morally and 
intellectually the greatest man the world has ever seen. And no 
man ever lived with perhaps the exception of Moses, who exerted 
so great an influence on the world for good. This is the leviathan 
in whose jaws the Almighty had his hook and who was raging as a 
wild animal. His conversion is one of the great proofs of the 
divinity of the Christian religion. It marked a new era in the 



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history of the Christian religion and of the world, when this clas- 
sical scholar and deep thinker was soundly converted. 

The chapter opens with a contrast between Saul ^and Philip 
whose wonderful zeal is spoken of in the preceding chapter. Now 
we see him display another kind of zeal — that of persecution. He 
was * * yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter. ' ' He had been 
in that raging condition of mind after the death of Stephen (Chap- 
ter 8:3) and he kept it up. He was an extreme zealot, determined 
to destroy the sect of Nazarenes, as his religious duty. He was 
like a fiery volcano breathing out destruction. To convert such an 
extreme enemy in a moment and render him as quiet in spirit as a 
lamb, was indeed one of the great miracles of early Christianity. 

So in his zeal to wipe out what he considered error, and in his 
self-conceit as being just the one to do it, he went to the high- 
priest and asked authority to visit the city of Damascus, to exter- 
minate the Nazarenes there. No one asked him to do this, but 
he applied for permission. This shows his hatred and self-conceit. 
The distance was between 120 and 150 miles. There were Christians 
that distance from Jerusalem. It shows how wonderfully the 
work was spreading. 

The Lord did not arrest him at the beginning of his journey, 
but let him finish his course and have it out, and just as he got 
ready to persecute the church, stopped him. As he came near 
Damascus, suddenly a bright light shone about him. It was not 
''from heaven" as the common version has it. It was the same 
bright cloud doubtless that was present with the Israelites in 
their journeyings, the same glory that shone in the Sehechinah. It 
was at midday. So this could be no illusion. The sun is very 
bright and fierce at noon in that country, but this light outshone 
the sun, and he fell to the earth with ''a sunstroke from the 
Sun of Righteousness. ' ' At the same time he heard a voice speak- 
ing in Hebrew (Acts 26:14), saying ''Saul, Saul, why persecutest 
thou me?" This was no imagining on the part of Saul, for those 
who were with him heard the voice. (Vs. 7 and Acts 22:9.) Saul 
was astonished at the voice. The crucified Jesus, whom Paul 
thought was dead was alive (more alive than ever) and was stand- 
ing on picket duty to guard his church and here challenges the 
enemy. He shows Saul that in persecuting the church he was 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 101 

really persecuting its Lord. Jesus is so tiiorouglilv identified with 
his ehurcli that it is impossible to persecute Ms little ones without 
persecuting him. O, that men would beware of their conduct 
against the cause of G-odI What a fearful account some must 
render for their persecution of holiness I "He that toucheth 
you toucheth the apple of my eye." "We think Saul fell to the 
ground in his astonishment, for he doubtless saw Jesus. Ananias 
says (Ys. 17) "Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way," 
Barnabas also said so in verse 27 (See also I Cor, 2:1 and 15:8), 
Saul had always been an honest man up to the degree of his 
light. He said in another place that he thought he was doing 
God service (See Chap, 26:9). So now in astonishment he asks, 
"Who art thou, Lord?*' And when the reply comes. "I am 
Jesus whom tiiou perseeutest, " he never shrinks back at the new 
light, but accepts it, although it upsets the theology and princi- 
ples of a lifetime. He does not even stop to count the cost, but 
walks right up to the new light. The words, "It is hard for thee 
to kick against the pricks,'' "And he trembling and astonished 
said, Lord, what will thou have me to do f ' are not in the best 
manuscripts. 

The first command is, "'Arise and go into the city, and it shall 
be told thee what thou must do." This was a severe test for a 
man. who had come over a hundred miles clothed with authority 
to drive out Christianity — to go willingly in the city, blinded and 
led by others. It was a t^st of humility indeed. The men, who 
were with him. heard the sound of the voice, but did not hear 
anything iuteUigible, so they got nothing out of it. The effects 
of the divine glory blinded "him so that, although his eyes were 
opened lat^r, yet he probably never fully recovered his sight. 

His companions led the bHnded Saul by the hand into the 
city, where he remained three days without eating or drinking. 
The abrupt change in all his life views, together with his intense 
conviction and his blindness, probably drove all appetite away. 
He was alone evidently, for the Christians were afraid of him 
and tie unbelieving .Jews would want nothing to do with him. 
"His conversion involved in Saul a change of creed; from believ- 
ing that he ought to do things against the name of Jesus of 
Nazareth (Chapter 26:3), he became a worshipper (Ys. 11) and 



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COMMENTARY ON 



a believer in and a preacher of Ms divinity (Vs. 20, 22) ; it 
wrought a cha,nge of moral purpose; from being a persecutor of 
Christ, he became a missionary of the cross; it was a change of 
allegiance; from doing what he thought in himself he ought to do, 
he became a devoted servant of Christ (Ch. 26:9; Rom. 1:1), 
praying without ceasing, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? 
A change of spirit; from being exceedingly mad against the dis- 
ciples of Jesus Christ (Ch. 26:11), he became the chief exponent 
and apostle of love, patience and long suffering. ' ' 

And now the Lord began to call on some of his church to help 
this man into the light. God has seen fit to lead men to salvation 
by human agency. Just as he used Philip to lead the eunuch into 
the light, so here he used a disciple by the name of Ananias. 
God spoke to him in a trance and told him to go to Straight 
Street and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of 
Tarsus, ' ' for behold he prayeth. ' ' Probably Saul had been pray- 
ing all the time for three days. It looks as if he was completely 
turned around, from a raging fierceness to a peaceful, prayerful 
disposition. Saul had prayed through. God had been kind to him 
in answering his prayer, by giving him a vision of Ananias coming 
in and laying his hands upon him, that he might receive his sight. 

Ananias was almost staggered in his faith to be told that the 
worst persecutor that the church had was praying. He seems 
to want to ask an explanation from the Lord, for reports had 
reached Damascus of Saul's awful havoc against the church. 
Saul's influence and persecution must have been very great to 
travel so far from Jerusalem. 

Here we notice for the first time (Vs. 13) that God's people 
are called saints or holy ones. This name is given them about 
sixty times in the New Testament. Paul directed nearly all 
his epistles to the saints, and yet some people say there have 
never been any holy people on earth. 

It seems that the object of Saul's mission — to destroy the 
church — had been generally noised abroad, for Ananias knew. He 
says "he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that 
call upon thy name." (See also verses 21 and 26.) No doubt 
the church at Damascus had hidden away. 

So the Lord encouraged Ananias to go and visit Paul by saying, 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



103 



'*Ee is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name/' The tvord 
translated vessel means any kind of instrument. We learn here that 
God had chosen Saul for a special Tvork to be the great apostle 
to the Gentiles. It does not mean that he had chosen him to 
salvation any more than any other sinner, for he chooses all men 
to salvation — *' ' whosoever vrill. ' ' But ' ' God has his plan for 
every man. ' ' He has his plan to have some men preach the 
Gospel, who refuse to be converted, and hence never fulfill his 
plan for them. As sure as we are unwilling to quit sin and yield 
to God, we are frustrating his plans. See the variety of plans God 
has for men. He did not call everybody to be a leader as he did 
Paul. Some people say, ''If I could only have a conviction and 
conversion like that of Paul ! ' ' Sam Jones used to say, ' ' God 
never takes out his big gun except when he is after big game." 
God gave Saul just the conviction he needed to fully show him 
his condition, and that is all he gives any man. Saul could have 
resisted had he desired, just as the hearers of Stephen did. It 
took a mighty shock to convince Saul. He was so sure that he was 
right. God chose him as his standard bearer to lead his army 
against the heathen. It took more than any ordinary man to prop- 
erly fiU this office, ' ' before the Gentiles and kings and the children 
of Israel." He stood before King Agrippa and Xero, and he 
was constantly preaching to the children of Israel. 

During the three days that Saul was in darkness, he must have 
been regenerated, for he was in a condition whereby God revealed 
his life-work to him and also that he must suffer greatly for the 
sake of Jesus. "Who can suppose God could or would show such 
things to an unregenerate man ! ' ' The natural man receiveth not 
the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; 
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ' ' 
It is evident, therefore, that the time of his regeneration was when 
he yielded to Jesus in the highway, Jesus showed Paul in advance 
that he would be a great sufferer for his sake. But Saul was so 
genuinely regenerated and convinced that Jesus was divine that 
the prospect did not stagger or dismay him. It took grace to be 
willing to accept this calling for life. But he had so much of the 
divine blessing upon him that he did not draw back or flinch. God 
sometimes foretells to his saints what they must endure. He tells 



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us all in his book that we must meet with tribulation in this 
world. We must expect it as truly as did Saul. It is the common 
lot of mortals. Peter says, ''Beloved, think it not strange con- 
cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange 
thing happened unto you." What a strange thing that th€ chief 
thing Jesus showed this man was not the great victories and the 
sublime successes, but the trials he was to meet! What a strange 
way of recruiting the army of God — to tell of the hardships! We 
suppose Paul had so much of the divine glory already that it 
was not necessary to speak of the future glory, but necessary to 
let him know of the trials, lest he be surprised and disheartened 
when they came. 

So Ananias went and put his hands upon Saul. This was not 
the ceremony of ordination, spoken of in our notes on chapter 8:17, 
but simply a symbol of the grace and gift of the Holy Ghost 
about to be imparted to him. This the Lord had already spoken 
of to Ananias in Vs. 12. Ananias addressed him as "Brother 
Saul." Here we have another proof that he was now regenerate 
and belonged to the family of God. Abbott says of the term 
brother, ''It became a common appellation of Christians in their 
conversation with each other." The Lord here sent Ananias as 
an instrument by which this Christian (not a sinner) might be 
filled with the Holy Ghost, just as he filled his church at Pentecost; 
just as Peter and John went to the converts at Samaria (Acts 8) 
that they might receive the Holy Ghost. God nowhere promises 
the fullness of the Spirit to sinners, nor is there any account in 
the New Testament where sinners received the fullness of the 
Spirit. We note here that the physical healing and the fullness 
of the Spirit were given at the same time. The restoration of 
his sight was a proof that he now received the fullness of the 
Spirit, just as the healing of the palsied man was the proof that 
his sins were forgiven. Jesus said (Luke 5:24), "But that ye 
may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive 
sins (he said unto the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee. Arise, 
and take up thy couch." The physical is always of lesser impor- 
tance and is a proof of the accomplishment of the greater miracle 
in the soul. 

He was then baptized on the spot in the house of Judas. It 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



105 



was a private baptism. We have somehow in these days come to 
think that it is a ceremony only for a public service, and that 
it is an initiation into the visible church. At this time there was 
no cturch organization. 

Notice the immediateness of affairs. The sight came imme- 
diately. The purifying baptism also came immediately. It was not 
a slow process of growth or development. 

Verse 9 says he fasted three days. No doubt he had become 
very -^veak, physically. So now he took food and "was strength- 
ened." He kept a genuine fast because it was from the soul. 
He was too much occupied with spiritual matters to eat. Set 
fasts amount 'to little. They often become meritorious in the 
sight of those who practice them, and become a snare to receiving 
salvation by faith alone. There is no merit in fasting. When we 
become so much occupied in spiritual things that we forget the 
wants of the body, then we really fast. So Saul remained a few 
days with the disciples of Damascus, recruiting his strength. 

Having become strong immediately he preached Christ — not 
aiout Christ — in the synagogue, or Jewish meeting-houses of 
Damascus. The theme of his preaching was that Jesus is the Son 
of God. When a convert like Saul has had a previous schooling, 
it is perfectly proper to let him go to preaching at once. Thus 
Jesus captured a big gun from Satan, and turned it on the enemy 
at once. We see instances of this same plan in John 1:41, 45 and 
Mark 5:9 — those, who are saved, immediately becoming preachers. 

This amazed all that heard him. The lion had been turned into 
a lamb. We see this kind of a miracle repeated all through the 
ages. Some of the best preachers of the world like Augustine, 
Bunyan, Ouseley, were violent opposers, became changed in heart, 
came to their right mind, and began to preach. 

But while the people were amazed, Saul grew stronger every 
day. There is nothing that will so encourage young converts as to 
set them to testifying and preaching. He was ''being strength- 
ened with might by the Spirit in the inner man." (Eph. 3:16.) 
Just what he prayed for the Ephesian church. Like Stephen he 
confounded all his adversaries (Chapter 6:10). A man filled 
with the Holy Ghost, well educated and of great mental power, 
is the mightiest agency on earth for shaking the kingdom of 



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Satan. He proved so clearly that Jesus was the Messiah that no 
one could offer any argument against it, and, of course, as is 
usually the case when men have no good argument, they persecute. 
This is one of the tactics of the carnal mind. The Jews who 
lived in this Syrian city had no power to try or condemn any 
one. So they formed a conspiracy to assassinate Saul. 

The fact that a plot had been formed against him leaked out 
and the disciples let him down through a window by the wall of 
the city, as no doubt his enemies were watching for him at the 
gates. Houses in the East were often built into the walls of the 
city, with bay windows overhanging the walls. In 2 Cor. 11:33 
we are told what kind of a basket it was. The Greek word there 
means a basket made of rope woven together. So Saul had a 
stormy time from the very beginning, ending in his mar4:yrdom 
about thirty years later, but God so blessed him that sometimes 
he did not know whether he was * ' in the body or out of the 
body." (2 Cor. 12:13.) So he escaped and started back to 
Jerusalem. No doubt he thought that the people, because of his 
former course, would hear him (Chapter 22:19, 20). But they 
did not hear him willingly. He had been away from there three 
years (Gal. 1:18) since he left on his journey of persecution. He 
stopped at the house of Peter while there for fifteen days (Gal. 
1:18). There God gave him a vision (Chapter 22:18-21), telling 
him to leave the city. 

Here he was in a serious dilemma — the Jews hated him, and 
the disciples were afraid of him and thought he was pretending 
to be a disciple and spying out the people in order to the better 
persecute them. ''But there was a good man full of the Holy 
Ghost and faith" named Barnabas. (Acts 11:22.) He had 
spiritual insight and saw that Saul had a genuine experience of 
salvation. He narrated to the brethren that Saul had seen (not 
merely heard, but seen) the Lord in the way and spoken to him^ 
and had preached the word boldly at Damascus. What a blessing 
a man of ordinary talent full of the Holy Ghost sometimes becomes 
in helping some one of greater ability and getting them started 
in a great career. Unable to do much themselves, they make it 
possible for some one else to do great things. So God has a 
place for little folks whereby they can help big , folks. The 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



107 



great steamer is dependent upon the little tugs to get it out 
to sea. 

It will be noted here that Saul was a controversialist. He 
''disputed against the Grecians." Some people are greatly 
opposed to controversy. They think it is contrary to holiness. 
But Jesus and the apostles were great controversialists. They 
contended for the truth against error. Holiness means antagonism 
against sin. When God uttered the first prophecy in Eden con- 
cerning the seed of the woman and the serpent, he said, "1 will 
put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed 
and her seed. ' ' Holiness in the heart is the enmity that he puts 
between the serpent and the woman. Holinessi is hostility to sin. 
Holiness, therefore, will not allow error to go unrebuked. It is 
cowardly and wicked to let false doctrine go unchallenged. Holi- 
ness is no jelly fish, sickly, sweetish affair. We may not like the 
sound of war, but the doctrines and truths we hold sacred were 
brought to us by the heroes who risked their lives to defend these 
ti-uths. Somebody fought for the truths that some of us today 
would surrender without a struggle. 

PENTECOSTAL POWER. Vs. 31-43. 

31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee 
and Samaria, and were edified ; and walking in the fear of the Lord, 
and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. 

32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quar- 
ters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. 

33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had 
kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. 

34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee 
whole : arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. 

35 And all that dwell at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned 
to the Lord. 

36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, 
which by interpretation is called Dorcas : this woman was full of 
good works and almsdeeds which she did. 

37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and 
died ; whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper cham- 
ber. 

38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples 
had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desir- 
ing Mm that he would not delay to come to them. 



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COMMENTARY ON 



39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, 
they brought him into the upper chamber : and all the- widows stood 

him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas 
made, while she was with them, 

40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed ; 
and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened 
her eyes : and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 

41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had 
called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 

42 And it was known throughout all Joppa ; and many believed 
in the Lord. 

43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with 
one Simon a tanner. 

The churches now had rest for a time, because the chief 
persecutor, Saul, had been converted, and because the Eoman 
^pecor, Caligula, had ordered his statue set up on 
the temple at Jerusalem. This so exasperated the Jews 
that they forgot for the time being to persecute the Christians. 
Three things are said of the churches at this time. The passage 
is correctly rendered, ' ' Then had the church rest, being built up 
and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the 
Holy Ghost was multiplied." (Rev. Ver.) This is always the 
result where a church is filled with the Holy Ghost. It is built 
up or edified, and walks in the fear of God with the constant aid 
of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Is it not strange with the history 
of the church so emphatic on this point, that churches seek every- 
thing else except the indwelling of the Holy Ghost to build them 
up? The most prosperous days of the church when it saw its most 
splendid triumphs were when men in it were filled with the Holy 
Ghost, during the first and second centuries. The word ' ' comfort ' ' 
here is a Greek word signifying to call to one's help. It means 
the helpful presence of the Holy Spirit. Such churches multiply. 
Many are afraid of the experience of holiness lest it divide the 
church, when it is that which multiplies it. Satan has two lies; 
first, that if a man gets saved he will have no more joy in this 
world; second, if the church is sanctified it will be divided. 

We now see some manifestations of the results of the Pente- 
costal blessing in the experience of Peter. He also had some 
history worth writing as well as Stephen, Philip and Saul. In his 
itinerant ministry, Peter came to Lydda, a large town nine miles 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



109 



from Joppa on the road to Jemsalem. Here Peter performed a 
miracle which brought Christianity into favor with the people. 
The first thing we note is that Peter visited the ' ' saints which 
dwelt at Lydda. " All God's true people are called saints. The 
term is not popular. People of today sneer at it. But it is the 
Bible name for Christians, nevertheless. All God's people are 
sanctified and the only difference is that those who receive the 
fullness of the Spirit are ivholly sanctified. Peter saw a saint who 
had been bedridden for eight years, afflicted with palsy. He 
called him by name, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: 
arise and make thy bed. ' ' The word bed is not in the original. 
It is literally, * ' Arise and spread. ' ' Other people had been making 
his bed, now he was to do it for himself. And this cure was 
wrought immediately. We like the immediateness and instanta- 
neousness of the Gospel. The omnipotent Jesus can make the soul 
instantaneously well just as readily as the body. Who would deny 
it? So he arose showing that his lower limbs were cured. He 
made his bed, proving his arms and hands were also healed. God 
has always given his prophets power to work miracles at the be- 
ginning of every dispensation; at the inauguration of the dispen- 
sation of the law were the miracles wrought by Moses. At the 
beginning of the dispensation of the prophets were the miracles 
of Elijah and Elisha. During the short dispensation of Jesus 
Christ, the miracles that he wrought and now at the beginning 
of the Holy Ghost dispensation we have the miracles wrought by 
Peter, John and Paul, as certificates of the truths they preached. 

Peter was also instrumental in the raising of a good woman in 
Joppa, a town nearby. Dorcas was her name in Greek, and Tabitha 
was her name in Aramaic. The name means gazelle. She was an 
unusually good woman, abounding in good works. She had died 
and the saints greatly mourned her. Also the widows, for whom 
she had made garments. There is a question whether the grief of 
the widows was not selfish, as they would get no more garments. 
There is a question, too, whether much of our grief when the 
righteous die is not selfish. Certainly they are better off to be 
with Jesus. Do we mourn because they are better off? or is it 
at our own loss? Peter by divine power raised her to life. This 
miracle caused many to believe on the Lord. Thus we see the 



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COMMENTARY ON 



benefit of miracles — to evidence Christianity. Peter remained at 
J oppa at tbe house of a tanner named Simon, and took a vacation, 
spending much of the time in prayer — a good way for preachers 
to take a vacation. 



CHAPTER X. 



HUMAN INSTRUMENTALITY IN DIVINE CLEANSING. 

The Preparation of the Congregation for the Preacher. Vs. 1-8. 
The Preparation of the Preacher for the Congregation. Vs. 
9-23. The preparation of the Congregation for the Holy Ghost. 
Vs. 24-33. The Sermon and Its Result. Vs. 34-48. 

THE PEEPAEATION OF THE CONGEEGATION FOR THE 
PREACHER. Vs. 1-8. 

1 There was a certain man in Csesarea called Cornelius, a cen- 
turion of the band called the Italian hand, 

2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, 
which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 

3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day 
an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 

4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said. What is it. 
Lord? And he said unto him. Thy prayers and thine alms are come 
up for a memorial before God. 

5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose 
surname is Peter : 

6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the 
sea side : he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. 

7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, 
he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them 
that waited on him continually ; 

8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent 
them to Joppa. 

We have seen in the experience of Philip and the eunuch (Chap- 
ter 8:26-40) and of Ananias and Saul (Chapter 9:1-18) hovs^ God 
uses men in the salvation and sanctification of other men — the 
human instrumentality. We now have the history of Peter's mis- 
sion to the house of Cornelius, that they might be purified from sin 
by the coming into their hearts of the Holy Ghost which we are 
told in Acts 15:9 was accomplished at this time. It was accom- 
plished by the preaching of Peter, God has seen fit to place great 



111 



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COMMENTARY ON 



honor upon preacMng. It has pleased him "by the foolishness of 
preaching to save them that believe." And as long as the world 
stands this difinely honored method of saving men will be used. 

The place was Caesarea, a large, prosperous city on the Medi- 
terranean Sea, about seventy miles northwest of Jerusalem. It 
was a Gentile city. Philip, the evangelist, had been there quite 
recently (See Chapter 8:40) and Cornelius had doubtless been 
awakened and converted at that time. The apostles had not yet 
preached to the Gentiles, or even thought of such an innovation. 
But Philip had done so. He had already been instrumental in the 
salvation of the Gentile Ethiopian (Chapter 8). So Cornelius 
was being prepared for the reception of the fullness of the Spirit. 
Let us see (1) who this man was; (2) how God prepared him to 
receive the fullness of the Spirit. 

Who was Cornelius? He was a centurion of the band called 
The Italian. The Roman army was divided into legions, and each 
legion was divided into cohorts, each cohort was divided into three 
maniples, containing from fifty to one hundred men, under the com- 
mand of a centurion, who thus was virtually the same as a captain 
of a company in a modern army. Cornelius commanded a maniple 
of about one hundred men. The maniple belonged to the Italian 
Cohort, or Band, called so because its soldiers were natives of 
Italy. The Romans had conquered Judea and made Caesarea their 
principal city. 

He was a devout man." In other words, he was a God- 
fearing, pious man, accepted of God, as verse 35 shows. "The 
Greek word for devout," says Hudson in his Greek Concordance, 
" is a term applied to proselytes to Judaism. ' ' We find others in 
the New Testament (See Matt. 8:5-13, Acts 2:5). Abbott says, 
"Whether he was a true, regenerated child of God has been ques- 
tioned, but chiefly because the supposition that he was so is incon- 
sistent with our often too narrow theology. The very object of 
the narrative is to teach Peter, and through him the primitive 
church, the lesson which in all ages the church has been slow 
to learn, that God accepts every man, whatever his nationality or 
his religious ignorance, who reverences God, seeks further light 
from him, and does this in the way of practical righteousness." 
We believe God taught Peter this lesson (that the gospel was for 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



113 



Gentiles) by giving Cornelius and his household the second bless- 
ing of the fullness of the Holy Ghost, thus proving that they al- 
ready had the first blessing — regeneration. It is very certain that 
he could not have been a devout man and a sinner at the same 
time. It has been suggested that he was the centurion who at 
the crucifixion said, *'This is the Son of God." 

He feared God. Lest some might say his devoutness was only 
a form, this is added, ' ' he feared God. ' ' His heart went with 
his forms and profession of religion. It would be an absurdity 
and a contradiction of terms to say that this man was a God- 
fearing sinner. He must, therefore, have been a saved man. 

* * With all his house. ' ' He had family religion. This is no 
small evidence of the experience of salvation. While an unsaved 
man may go through the forms of family religion, a saved man 
will surely have the forms of family religion and seek to get his 
household saved. A man can not have any spiritual religion at 
all who does not seek to have his family saved. ' ' Cornelius, like 
Abraham, influenced his household by imparting his own con- 
victions of duty and worship. ' ' We pity the parent who does 
not daily invoke the divine blessing upon his household; who does 
not feel the need of divine help in rearing his family. More 
than this, it says his family, too, feared God. He had the blessed 
privilege of seeing his family in the fold of God. What a blessed 
thing it is to have one's family walking in the ways of religion. 

He gave mach alms to the people. Prayer and alms giving go 
together. A man of prayer will be a helper of the poor. The ten 
commandments are divided into two tables — duties to God and 
man, or better, love to God and man, for love is the fulfilling of 
the law. As sure as we love God, we will love man and seek to 
help God's poor, who he says are always with us. Alms giving is 
not meritorious. Our benevolence will not produce salvation. But 
our experiences of salvation will produce benevolence. No man 
truly loves God who does not love his fellow man. Cornelius was 
an unusually benevolent man. He gave mMch alms, because he 
feared and loved God. 

He * * prayed to God alway. ' ' This meant a great deal when we 
consider that he was a Eoman, and the Eomans generally believed 
that one religion was as good as another, and as long as a man 



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had religion it was no matter what kind it was. There are some 
such people in our time. But Christianity is an exclusive religion 
and it teaches that all other religions are wrong. This man wor- 
^ipped only Jehovah, for he prayed to him "always." He had 
stepped out from the heathenism of his own nation. He surely 
would have had nothing to do with the Congress of Eeligion at 
the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. 

When Luke says ' ' he prayed to God alway, ' ' he does not mean 
that he was always on his knees, but his heart ever had a devo- 
tional tendency. He kept sending up prayer to heaven when he 
could not be on his knees. Austin Phelps says, * ' We miss very 
much devotional joy by the neglect of fragmentary prayer. 
In the intervals which separate periodical seasons of devotion, 
we need a habit of offering up brief ejaculatory expressions of 
devout feeling. The morning and evening sacrifice depend very 
much upon these interspersed offerings as these in return are 
dependent upon those. Communion with God in both is assisted 
by linking the 'set times' together by a chain of heavenward 
thoughts and aspirations, in the breaks which occur in our labors 
and amusements. Nothing else can do this so naturally as the 
habit of ejaculatory prayer. The spirit of prayer may run along 
the line of such a habit through a lifetime. So one may live 
in a state of prayer, ' a devout man that prays always. ' ' ' We 
do not know of any man mentioned in the Bible except Cornelius 
as praying ' ' alway. ' ' What genuine marks of regenerating grace 
we find in this man's experience! 

We see here the rewards that come to the man who prays much 
— the revelation of an angel, the meeting of a preacher and receiv- 
ing his message and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Surely it 
pays to pray without ceasing, ''Much real praying is in the line 
of much blessing." 

It was at the ninth hour of the day (3 P. M.) that the angel 
appeared to him. This was one of the Jewish hours for daily 
prayer and he was a Jewish proselyte. This seems to show that 
although he had a constant spirit of prayer, yet he also observed 
stated times of prayer. He was evidently praying for the Baptism 
with the Holy Ghost, which had been poured out on so many others 



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115 



in those days. We think so because that was what he received 
eventually through the ministration of the angel and Peter. 

He received the assurance through the angel that his prayer and 
alms had come up as a memorial before God. God was to answer 
them, is the idea. Abbott says, ' * The fact that the prayers of 
Cornelius were heard and answered is of itself conclusive that be- 
fore hearing the gospel from Peter, he was accepted as a child of 
God. ' ' We recommend this interpretation from this unprejudiced 
source, to those who deny the second work of grace. God does not 
hear the prayer of sinners. 

We have here another proof that God answers prayer. Some 
teach that all the answers we get in prayer is reflex, manifested 
while in submission to the will of God and toning up our faith, 
but that God does not directly answer prayer. But here we see 
this error refuted. 

God directly blessed him in answer to prayer. He had evidently 
been asking God what he should do to receive the Holy Ghost, for 
the angel told him that Peter should tell him what he ought 
to do. 

Notice the faith of Cornelius. He sends a long distance to a 
strange city and to a strange man just on the command of the 
angel. He tells the two servants and the devout soldier just what 
he believed in the matter, so that they were able to tell the whole 
story when they met Peter. 

Notice that it was ' ' a devout soldier ' ' Trho went with the two 
servants of Cornelius. It seems that his piety was so genuine that 
some of the Eoman soldiers under him became religious also. So 
he sends the three on this singular errand to Joppa. Thus we see 
that God does all he can to prepare an audience for the preacher. 
He convicts by his Spirit before every revival. He is keeping the 
world constantly under conviction. 

THE PEEPAEATION OF THE PEEACHEE FOE THE 
COXGEEGATION. Vs. 9-23. 

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh 
unto the city, Peter went up upon the house top to pray about the 
sixth hour : 



I 



116 



COMMENTARY ON 



10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten : but while 
they made ready, he fell into a trance, 

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending 
unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and 
let down to the earth : 

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, 
and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 

13 And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter ; kill and eat. 

14 But Peter said. Not so. Lord; for I have never eaten anything 
that is common or unclean. 

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What 
God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 

16 This was done thrice : and the vessel was received up again 
into heaven. 

17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which 
he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from 
Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house and stood before the 
gate, 

18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed 
Peter, were lodged there. 

19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, 
Behold, three men seek thee. 

20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting 
nothing : for I have sent them. 

21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him 
from Cornelius ; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek : what is 
the cause wherefore ye are come? 

22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one 
that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the 
Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into 
his house, and to hear words of thee. 

23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the mor- 
row Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa 
accompanied him. 

24 And the morrow after they entered into Csesarea. And Cor- 
nelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and 
near friends. 

25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down 
at his feet, and worshipped Mm. 

26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up ; I myself also am 
a man. 

27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that 
were come together. 

28 And he said unto them. Ye know bow that it is an unlaw- 
ful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one 
of another nation ; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any 
man common or unclean. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



117 



29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I 
was sent for : I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me ? 

30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this 
hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, toehold, a 
man stood before me in bright clothing, 

31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are 
had in remembrance in the sight of God. 

32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose sur- 
name is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the 
sea side : who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 

33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee ; and thou hast well done 
that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before 
God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 

It requires a great deal of training to make a successful 
preacher. We do not mean merely intellectual training, but spirit- 
ual. The Lord can accomplish a great deal in a short time, but to 
be a pure, clean channel for the outflow of divine truth requires a 
great work in the heart, even after we are wholly sanctified. Good 
men are often warped by their prejudices, and both hinder the 
progress of divine truth and also hinder growth and usefulness 
because of racial, or denominational prejudices, Peter had been 
raised, and educated as a Jew with all the national prejudices 
against the Gentiles. It had not yet dawned upon him that Gen- 
tiles were included in the number of the beneficiaries of the 
atonement of Jesus Christ. He had not even given the matter 
a thought, it was so far removed from his Jewish notions. And 
now God was to make known to him by a revelation that the 
Gentiles were not only to be partakers of salvation, but partakers 
of the highest form of salvation — the purification of the heart by 
the baptism with the Holy Ghost. And just as God had to di- 
vide the animals into clean and unclean classes under the Old 
Dispensation to teach the degraded Israelites the first principles 
of holiness, so now the Lord had to employ this same kinder- 
garten method of clean and unclean to teach Peter that the Gen- 
tiles could be cleansed from all sin and have like precious faith 
with the Hebrew Christians. 

As the Messengers approached Joppa, Peter went to the house- 
top to pray at noon. The tops of the houses being flat were used 
for various domestic purposes (See 1 Sam. 9:26; 2 Sam. 16:22; 
2 Sam. 11:2; Judges 16:27; Isa. 21:1; Nah. 8:16). We have 



118 



COMMENTARY ON 



noticed previously that Peter was having a short rest from preach- 
ing. It is a good thing for a preacher to take time for prayer in 
vacation. It was evidently just before dinner, for he became very 
hungry. This was a good preparation for the manifestations of 
the sheet and the animals. God sent a vision to Cornelius; he 
allowed Peter to fall into a trance. A trance is different from a 
vision. The latter is connected usually with sleep, while the trance 
is a mental condition in which the person is, as it were, trans- 
ported into another realm of thought, retaining his consciousness 
and the objects that he sees seem real. This representation of a 
sheet filled with animals clean and unclean, just before the mes- 
sengers got to Peter is very significant. To the Jew the unclean 
animals coming in contact with the clean, made the whole mass 
unclean. The modern Jew too is fastidious about the matter of 
clean and unclean meats. 

When the horrified Peter objected to eating such food, he 
was doubtless no less startled to hear the voice that bid him 
kill and eat, which also said, ''What God hath cleansed that call 
not thou common." This shows in the sequel that God had 
cleansed the house of Cornelius at least by that initial cleansing 
called in the Scripture "the washing of regeneration." (Titus 
3:5.) 

Peter knew the revelation had a meaning and was pondering 
as to what it signified. He knew it had a symbolical meaning, 
for once he had seen a symbolical meaning of spiritual cleansing 
as he talked with Jesus about the feet washing. (John 13:9.) 
He was accustomed to symbolical teaching. So the Holy Spirit 
told him to go and meet the messengers of Cornelius, who had 
arrived at the gate. When we are honestly hesitating as to what 
to do, the Holy Spirit will help us solve our problems, if like 
Peter we obey him, ' ' nothing doubting ; ' ' even if it is contrary 
to the prejudices of a lifetime, ' ' Nothing doubting. ' ' This is 
the secret of liberty in experience. Let us find out what the 
Holy Spirit wants and then go about that duty ''nothing doubt- 
ing." This will give true freedom in the Holy Ghost. Here 
we have another proof that the Holy Spirit is a person. He is 
here represented as speaking directly to Peter. 

Here, too, we learn that the Spirit considers himself as acting 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



119 



when men act under his direction. Comeilus under his direction 
sent these messengers, and The Spirit says, * ' I have sent them. ' ' 

So Peter obeyed. Going down to the gate of the house he 
told them that he was the man whom they sought and asked what 
they wanted of him. They reply that Cornelius had sent them. 
They describe Cornelius as * * a just man. ' ' So Cornelius was 
not only a devout man, who feared God, gave much alms to 
the people and prayed alway, but he was also "a just Tnan/' 
according to the testimony of his own servants. When a man is 
thus regarded by his employees, there is no better proof of his 
sterling character. Cornelius, before he received the Holy Spirit, 
had a reputation for righteousness. He was a just or justified 
man. 

It was afternoon: these messengers had traveled that day 
thirty miles, so they resolved to wait until the next day before 
starting on their journey to Caesarea. On the morrow Peter 
and several of the brethren of Joppa went back with them to 
Caesarea. There were at least six of these brethren (See Chap- 
ter 11:12), who later were witnesses when Peter was called to 
account by the church for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. 

So the next day they arrived at Caesarea, and Cornelius, an- 
ticipating about the time they would be there, had a congrega- 
tion all waiting to receive the preacher. This readiness to hear 
the word shows how eager and hungry they were to receive the 
truth. No wonder the Holy Spirit fell so readily on such a 
company! Here is given to us one of the most beautiful 
scenes in the Book of Acts — the inauguration of the Gentile Dis- 
pensation (to which we belong) by the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit. ''After the narrative of the first Christian Pentecost, 
the second book of Luke (The Acts) scarcely contains a picture 
which in beauty and interest can be placed above that of the 
reception into the Church of Cornelius and his household. It is 
the history of the Gentile day of Pentecost. Moment worthy of 
eternal remembrance when the first Gentile threshold was crossed 
for the first time by the feet of them who published peace and 
the earliest beam of light dawned upon the land of the shadow 
of death. (Van Oosterzee.) 

Cornelius, like Peter, needed correction of some notions he 



130 



COMMENTARY ON 



had imbibed from his early training. He had, like all the Eo- 
mans, imbibed the heathen idea that every messenger that God 
sent must also be divine, and he fell down at the feet of Peter 
to worship him. Peter instantly raised him up, telling him, "1 
also am a man. ' ' Would that this were the last time that people 
had tried to worship the preacher. It would be well if the 
popes who claim through the centuries to have succeeded Peter, 
had the spirit of Peter in refusing to be worshiped. 

It is evident from Chapter 11:3 that Cornelius brought forth 
something for Peter to eat, doubtless dinner or supper to refresh 
him before he began to preach. And Peter evidently refers to 
this fact when he says, ''It is an unlawful thing for a man that 
is a Jew to keep company or to come unto one of another nation. ' ' 
He evidently refers to the social custom of eating. Now in eat- 
ing the meaning of the vision of the sheet dawns upon Peter. 
He had been told to ''rise, kill and eat." Now he eats, recog- 
nizing that the Gentiles were brethren in Christ — not sinners, for 
the Spirit had regenerated them. Thus we have another proof 
that these Gentiles were regenerated before they received the 
Holy Spirit in his fullness. 

Peter says, "Therefore I came unto you without making any 
objection." This shows the ready obedience of Peter. He did 
not like Moses (Ex. 4:10, 13) or Jeremiah (Jer. 1:6) or Jonah 
(Jonah 4:1) make objections when called to a great and uni- 
versal duty, for he had the indwelling Holy Spirit who helps in 
great emergencies, when duty seems well-nigh impossible. "I ask 
therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?" A good ques- 
tion for every preacher to ask of his people. Cornelius then 
explained to Peter how he came to send for him, and said, "Now 
we are all present before God." He did not think preaching was 
an intellectual performance or entertainment, or a place to hear 
the oratory of a man, but to get a message from God. It was 
a time not to be entertained or to criticize, but to hear from 
God through Peter. Would that all preaching was thus estimated. 
The preachers would preach better and the people would get 
spiritual help and grow in grace to spiritual edification. In 
apostolic days they went to meeting to meet God and not to hear 
star preaching. Cornelius felt that the message was ' ' commanded 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



121 



of God. And we should look at the divine message of the 
pulpit in the same light. 

THE SERMON AND ITS RESULT. Vs. 34-48. 

34 Then Peter opened hvi mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive 
that God is no respecter of persons : 

35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh right- 
eousness, is accepted with him, 

36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preach- 
ing peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 

37 That word, / say, ye know, which was published throughout 
all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John 
preached ; 

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost 
and with power : who went about doing good, and healing all that were 
oppressed of the devil ; for God was with him. 

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the 
land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem ; whom they slew and hanged on 
a tree : 

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly ; 

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of 
God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from 
the dead. 

42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testi- 
fy that it is he which was ordained of God to lie the Judge of quick and 
dead. 

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name 
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on 
all them which heard the word. 

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, 
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was 
poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. 
Then answered Peter, 

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be bap- 
tized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the 
Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. 

The prepared audience now hear a sermon from the prepared 
preacher. The first thing Peter speaks of is the lesson he has 
learned from this whole experience of himself and Cornelius. It 
is a twofold lesson — negative and positive. 1. Negative: God 



122 



COMMENTARY ON 



is no respecter of persons. Gentiles are just as much entitled 
to his favor as Jews. 2. Positive, that God accepts in every na- 
tion those who fear him and work righteousness. So we learn 
from this that Cornelius had already been accepted of God be- 
fore he sent for Peter — before he received the Holy Ghost. So 
then the heathen in his blindness, who fears God and works right- 
eousness is accepted of him. 

He then goes on to preach Jesus to the company, telling 
of his earthly ministry in Judea and Galilee. This ministry 
commenced in Galilee (Luke 4:14, 37, 44), for Jesus commenced 
his ministry at the age of thirty after he was baptized by John. 
He also tells us just what the Holy Spirit administered to Jesus 
after he was baptized with water by John. It was anointing. 
This is a very important passage and sets right a very important 
matter. It shows us that Jesus was not dapUzed with the Holy 
Ghost, but anointed with the Holy Ghost. There is quite a dif- 
ference between baptism and anointing. Baptism means cleansing. 
Jesus had no sin from which to be cleansed. Anointing was the 
usual form for inaugurating a priest or king into office. Under 
the Old Testament Dispensation this anointing was with oil, 
which is a symbol of the Holy Ghost. The oil was not used in the 
anointing of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit (which the oil represented) 
himself came as a dove and rested upon Jesus, who now entered 
upon his priesthood, being thirty years of age (Luke 3:30), 
which was the time when priests entered upon their office. The 
form of inauguration into the office of the priest was the washing 
of the body with water and anointing with oil (See Leviticus 
VIII). So the idea some people advance of following the 
example of Jesus in baptism is not scriptural. His baptism did 
not signify or symbolize that he was cleansed from sin, but that 
he was set apart for the priesthood ''after the order of Mel- 
chizedeck. " We need to be baptized with the Holy Ghost to be 
cleansed from sin and will need frequent anointings to keep us 
empowered for service. 

Peter says he was also anointed with power. It was not so 
much the power to work miracles. This was not the great element 
of power in the experience of Jesus. The great potency of Jesus 
was in his holy life and character. This was greater than his 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



123 



miracles. ''Power is not merely the power to perform miracles, 
but the whole, moral and spiritual might manifested by Christ's 
life of doing good and healing." (Hackett.) 

After Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power, he 
* * went about doing good. ' ' In this he symbolized the Christian 's 
privilege and life work — to go about doing good. This we will 
do if we are anointed with the Holy Ghost. And we can not 
do it as we should until we are anointed with the Holy Ghost. 
He not only did good but he east out devils from those who were 
possessed by them. 

Peter having preached the word (vs. 36) telling Cornelius of 
the life and death of Jesus, now declares that he is a witness of 
the truth he has just preached. He had seen Jesus work his 
miracles. Thus he proclaims himself a witness. This is just what 
Jesus said he and the other apostles also would be after they 
received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 1:8.) He then tells these Gentiles 
how his own countrymen had crucified Jesus. As the Gentiles 
were not guilty of this act, he does not enlarge upon its heinous- 
ness as he did when preaching to the Jews (See Acts 2:23; 3:14; 
4:10; 5:30). He also tells them that Jesus did not show himself 
to everybody after his resurrection but to certain special chosen 
witnesses. We suppose the reason he did not, was for the same 
reason, that he would not work wonders just to please the curiosity 
of Herod and the Pharisees. He was only anxious to convince his 
own disciples of his resurrection, because he did not purpose to 
advance his cause by signs and wonders, but by a church filled 
with the Holy Ghost. 

These chosen witnesses were commanded to herald the resur- 
rection and testify. This is the method employed ever since in 
spreading the kingdom of Jesus — by preaching and testifying. 
It is the duty of every preacher both to preach and to testify. 
To testify means to tell an experience. No man is fit to preach 
who does not have an experience. Testimony is becoming a lost 
art in the pulpit of today, but a true gospel preacher, both testifies 
and preaches. We are to prove our preaching by our testimony. 
We ought not to preach unless we have experience. The preacher 
can testify what he knows Jesus to be because his experience Bas 
proved Jesus to be divine and hence to be believed in all his 



124 



COMMENTARY ON 



teachings. He closes his sermon by saying that the prophets 
testified that salvation from sin would be given through the name 
of Christ. Now we know that the Old Testament prophecies fore- 
told that we of this dispensation can be saved from sin. Holiness 
is, therefore, according to Peter, taught in the Old Testament. 
"Eemission of sins means deliverance from sin." Abbott says 
that remission means ''not merely the forgiveness, that is the 
remission of the penalty, but the remission of sin itself, the 
cleansing from all unrighteousness. " So we see that Peter 
preached holiness to these saved Gentiles. 

"While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on 
all." Notice where he had come in his sermon. He had come 
to the point of faith. When he told them that all who believed 
could have remission of sins, it is evident that they believed right 
then, for the fire fell. It was not necessary to have an altar serv- 
ice. Altar services are for those who can not readily exe^wse 
faith. O, if we could make seekers believe that the gift of the 
Holy Ghost is imparted to those who believe and that is does not 
necessarily require a long drawn out series of prayers, and 
agonizing. 

The Jewish believers who came with Peter were astonished to 
see the manifestations, especially the gift of tongues. This gift 
is mentioned three times as being given to people, who at the time 
were sanctified. It does not seem to have been much in vogue, 
except in one church — Corinth — and there it gave Paul a good deal 
of trouble, because it was magnified as of chief importance when 
it is mentioned as of eighth importance in the list of gifts. 
(1 Cor. 12:8-11.) It is no where in the New Testament taught 
that it was given to enable the primitive Christians to preach the 
gospel in the various languages of the world, without learning 
them. Those misguided people who have thought they had the 
gift of tongues and have gone to heathen lands expecting to preach 
the gospel without learning the language have met with cHsap- 
pointment and ruimous failure. 

So Peter baptized with water these saved and entirely sanctified 
Gentiles. Notice he baptized them after they were saved and not 
as a means to their salvation. This ought to forever silence those 
people who teach that baptism is a saving ordinance, and those 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



125 



other people, wlio teacli tliat we can not know we are saved until 
we are baptized. 

Notice, he says, the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost 
"the same as we." Acts 15:9. A parallel passage says they and 
the apostles all were made pure in heart by the gift of the Holy 
Ghost. If these Spirit-filled souls had died before they could have 
been baptized they would not have been eternally lost, for their 
hearts were purified. Hence baptism is not essential to admittance 
to heaven. "The fire of the Lord fell, approving the sacrifice of 
the Gentiles (See Eom. 15:16), conferring on them the substance 
before the baptism with water, and teaching that as the Holy 
Ghost dispensed once more and for all with the necessity of cir- 
cumcision in the flesh, so can he also, when it pleases him, with the 
necessity of water baptism; and warning the Christian church 
not to put baptism itself in the place which circumcision once 
held." (Alford.) 



CHAPTER XI. 



FURTHER RESULTS OF THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT 
UPON THE GENTILES. 

The Brethren Demand an Explanation of This Irregularity. Vs. 
1-18. They Take an Advanced Step in Sending Barnabas to 
Converted Gentiles. Vs. 19-26. The Benevolence of the Pen- 
tecostal Church. Vs. 27-30. 

THE BRETHREN DEMAND AN EXPLANATION OF THIS 
IRREGULARITY. Vs. 1-18. 

1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that 
the Gentiles had also received the word of God, 

2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of 
the circumcision contended with him, 

3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat 
wit^ them. 

4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and ex- 
pounded it by order unto them, saying. 

5 I was in the city of Joppa praying : and in a trance I saw a 
vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down 
from heaven by four corners ; and it came even to me : 

6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, 
and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping 
things, and fowls of the air. 

7 And I heard a voice saying unto me. Arise, Peter ; slay and eat 

8 But I said, Not so, Lord : for nothing common or unclean hath 
at any time entered into my mouth. 

9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath 
cleansed, that call not thou common, 

10 And this was done three times : and all were drawn up again 
into heaven, 

11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come 
unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me, 

12 And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. More- 
over these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's 
house : 

13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, 



127 



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COMMENTARY ON 



which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, 
whose surname is Peter ; 

14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house 
shall be saved. 

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on 
us at the beginning. 

16 Then remembered I th^ word of the Lord, how that he said, 
John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the 
Holy Ghost. 

17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as fie did unco 
us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could 
withstand God? 

18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and 
glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted re- 
pentance unto life. 

It was no doubt a great shock to the churcli at Jerusalem when 
the news came that the Gentiles had accepted the truth as it is in 
Jesus. God was now unfolding his plan which he had all through 
the past ages. Paul speaks of it as a wonderful thing (a mystery) 
in Eph. 3:3-6 ''that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of 
the same body" as the Jews. We can not understand how much 
it meant to a Jew to see the national prejudices not merely of a 
life time, but of centuries, melt away in so short a time. Nothing 
shows the generous, sincere nature of Peter like this account of 
his accepting heartily the whole plan after he had seen the vision 
at Joppa, 

When Peter had finished his sojourn at Caesarea (Ch. 10:48) 
he went to Jerusalem and the Hebrew Christians attacked him for 
having eaten with the household of Cornelius. The Jews had 
intercourse with the Gentiles, but no social intimacies. To eat 
with them was considered wrong. 

So Peter told the story as recorded in chapter ten. The Eoman 
Catholic Church says Peter was the first pope. But this shows 
that instead of being a superior to the other apostles he was on a 
level with them, for they took him to task for eating with Gentiles, 
which they would never dare to do, if he had been their superior. 

Peter reports Cornelius as saying, The angel said ''who shall 
tell thee words whereby thou shalt be saved." Telling "words'^ 
whereby men may be saved is a good definition of preaching. 

But why should Peter tell Cornelius "words" whereby he 



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should be saved? Was he not saved already? He surely was, 
for Peter had perceived that these Gentiles were accepted of God 
(See Chapt. 10:34-35). Could a man be accepted of God and 
not be saved? No. We must then, as in all cases of apparent 
discrepancy, explain Scripture by Scripture. Abbott undertakes 
to explain it thus, ''the language here specifies more accurately 
than in chapter 10:6, 33, the nature of the information which 
Peter was expecting. It does not, however, necessarily imply that 
he and his house were not already in the way of salvation, and 
chapter 10:2, 4, 31, 35, clearly indicates that before Peter came 
to him he was accepted by God. The language here justifies the 
conclusion that he had no assurance of salvation, and that in his 
case it was the mission of the Gospel to bring peace by Jesus 
Christ to a heart already saved by divine grace, but lacking that 
restful assurance which only the Gospel can impart. ' ' We can 
not agree with this, for the salvation of the heart by divine grace 
is too big an experience to possess and the possessor be uncon- 
scious of it. The term salvation is used in the Bible in several 
senses. It is used in the initial sense. For instance, Paul says, 
''Who hath saved us?" Here he refers to a present salvation. 
It is used in the sense of final salvation; for instance, "He that 
shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." (Matt. 24:13.) 
In Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added daily to the church, such as 
should be saved. ' ' The correct translation is ' ' such as were being 
saved. ' ' Here we have the instance of Cornelius being not initially 
or finally saved, but saved from sin by the purifying baptism. We 
make a distinction sometimes between salvation and full salvation 
— the one a salvation from guilt; the other a salvation from sin 
itself, since we know by Acts 15:9 that Cornelius was purified 
from sin. 

Peter says he remembered the word of Jesus, whom he here 
calls ' ' The Lord. ' ' He quotes the words of Jesus that he remem- 
bered. It was Acts 1:5 where Jesus said, "John indeed baptized 
with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. ' ' This 
is a very important passage, as it settles some things. For in- 
stance, some have made a difference between the gift of the Holy 
Spirit and the baptism of the Spirit. But we see here they are 
one and the same thing (Compare Chapter 10:47 with verse 16). 



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COMMENTARY ON 



Some are uncertain whether the baptism with the Holy Spirit is 
anything more than the gift of power for service. But Peter here 
says they received the baptism of the Spirit according to the 
promise of Jesus, and he also says in Ch. 15:9 that their hearts 
were purified at this time. Consequently the baptism with the 
Spirit purifies the heart. 

He also says in verse 17 that this was the same experience that 
the disciples received when they were filled with the Holy Ghost. 
So we learn that being ' ' filled, " " baptized ' ' and ' ' purified ' ' 
with the Holy Spirit are one and the same experience. What 
could Peter do when the Gentiles received the same blessing that 
the apostles did at Pentecost? He could not refuse to associate 
with Gentiles whom God has blessed. He could not call them 
unclean or common whom God had cleansed. (See chapter 10:15.) 
To let our prejudices stand in the way of a manifest work of grace 
is to withstand God. When God is pouring out his Spirit and we 
stand aloof or criticise or draw away, we are withstanding God. 
We commend this to others since the days of Peter, who have been 
tempted to draw away from a genuine outpouring of the Spirit, 
because it was not in accordance with their notions. The Pente- 
costal church, when they heard this, did not say, ''I suppose we 
will have to put up with it and make the best of it since God did 
it," but they glorified God. They were glad the Gentiles had 
received the blessing. One of the proofs that the blessing is from 
God is that when a person receives it, he wants every one else to 
receive it also. 

They rejoiced that God had granted to the Gentiles ''repent- 
ance unto life. ' ' Before this, the Jews had thought that Gentiles 
could obtain eternal life by becoming circumcised and thus becom- 
ing Jews. They did not believe that as Gentiles they could repent 
and be saved. It was an astonishment that God had given to 
these Gentiles the disposition to repent, and get eternal life 
without becoming Jewish proselytes. The fact that these Gentiles 
had been baptized with the Holy Ghost showed that Gentiles 
might not only have eternal life (regeneration), but also have all 
the privileges of a full salvation — the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
Here began a division in the Christian church that never has been 
fully united. One party thought the Gentiles must first become 



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eircumcised before they could believe and be saved. The other 
party believed cireumcisioii was not essential to salvation. This 
division has appeared in all generations and especially where the 
church gets formal and dead. Then it always multiplies forms 
and rests on them for salvation. There is little division in the 
church when they depend on the Spirit more than forms. 

THEY TAKE AN ADVANCED STEP IN SENDING BAENA- 
BAS TO THE GENTILES. Vs. 19-26. 

19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecu- 
tion that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, 
and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 

20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, 
when they were come to Antioch. spake unto the Grecians, preaching 
the Lord Jesus. 

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a great number 
believed, and turned unto the Lord. 

22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church 
which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should 
go as far as Antioch. 

23 Who. when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, 
and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave 
unto the Lord. 

24 For he was a good man. and full of the Holy Ghost and of 
faith : and much people was added unto the Lord. 

25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul : 

26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. 
And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves 
with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were 
called Christians first in Antioch. 

Peter had gone on his own account to the house of Cornelius. 
Now they send on their own account a sanctified layman. Let us 
see how it came about. We turn back to the dispersion of the 
church after the persecutions mentioned in Acts 8:2-4. The 
writer brings up the history to the date of Peter's preaching to 
the Gentiles. Pious laymen had also been virtually doing the same 
thing — ^preaching the gospel on their own account to ''Jews 
only," throughout the countries north and west of Palestine. 
They had gone as far as Antioch in Syria. This was a very large 
and prosperous city. It was two miles wide and five miles long. 



133 



COMMENTARY ON 



It was the great center of Syria and Asia Minor, situated on the 
border of each. 

Some of these lay preachers were natives of Cyprus and 
Cyrene. They were Jewish proselytes; perhaps converted on the 
day of Pentecost. At any rate they began to tell the glad tidings 
to the Greeks. They had no inherited prejudices like the Jews 
as to offering the gospel to Gentiles. So while Peter, an apostle, 
was preaching to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, the Holy 
Ghost was moving these pious laymen of Cyprus and Cyrene to 
tell the glad tidings to other Gentiles also. 

' ' The hand of the Lord was upon them. ' ' The hand is a 
symbol of power in the Bible. In chapter 4:30 the church prayed 
that the Lord would grant the disciples boldness to preach by 
stretching out his hand to heal. We learn from this that God 
accompanies the testimony of his servants with divine power. 
The result was a multitude of converts. 

When the church at Jerusalem heard of this great work in 
Antioch they sent Barnabas to examine it and see if the work was 
genuine. Barnabas was a man well suited to this work. He 
was not a Jew, but a native of Cyprus (Acts 4:36) and hence 
would not be swayed by Jewish prejudices. Neither was he an 
apostle, but a sanctified layman, of good sense. It is a fine thing 
in a church to have a layman, who is active in spiritual things, 
and this is the rule where churches are truly sanctified. It does 
not take long for a sanctified man to recognize a genuine revival 
of religion. God gives him spiritual discernment. Barnabas was 
glad. Of course he was. Nothing pleases a good man more than 
to see the church prosper spiritually. 

Barnabas was not a preacher but an exhorter. Se exhorted 
the converts to become entirely consecrated. He exhorted them to 
cleave to the Lord ''with full purpose of heart." In the original 
it is ' ' setting forth of heart. ' ' It refers to the setting forth or 
consecration of the shew bread in the tabernacle and temple (Matt. 
12:*4). It was a type of consecration. So Barnabas exhorted 
them to consecrate themselves to God just as the shew bread was 
consecrated to God. ''With purpose of heart" — a real consecra- 
tion. These converts had already repented. Consecration is oever 



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133 



commanded to sinners. There is not a single commandment to 
sinners to consecrate themselves in the Bible. 

Barnabas (this son of consolation) was "a good man, full of 
faith and the Holy Ghost. ' ' This was the reason given for his 
easy recognition of the grace of God in the experience of these 
Gentiles. Such men have spiritual apprehension. Adam Clarke 
says of Barnabas, ' ' Here is a proper character of a minister of 
the gospel. 1. He is a good m-an ; his bad heart is changed; 
his evil dispositions rooted out; and the mind that was in Christ 
implanted in him. 

2. He is full of the Holy Ghost. He is holy, because the Spirit 
of holiness dwells in him; he has not a few transient visitations 
or drawings from the Spirit. The Spirit is a resident in his soul 
and fills his heart. The Spirit is light in his understanding; 
discrimination in his judgment; fixed purpose and determination 
in righteousness in his will; purity, love, peace, gentleness, good- 
ness, meekness, temperance, and fidelity — in his affections and 
passions. In a word the Spirit has sovereign sway in his heart; 
governs all passions and is the motive and principle of every 
righteous action. 

3. He was full of faith. He implicitly credited his Lord; he 
knew that he could not lie; that his word could not fail; he 
expected not only the fulfillment of all promises, but also every 
degree of help, light, life and comfort which God might at any 
time see necessary for his church; he prayed for the divine bless- 
ing, and he believed that he should not pray in vain. His faith 
never failed because it laid hold upon that God who could not 
change. Behold, ye ministers of the gospel, an original minister 
of Christ. Emulate his piety, his faith, and his usefulness. ' ' 
Barnabas exhorted them to cleave to the Lord. This implies that 
they might have let go. There is no such doctrine in the Bible as 
* * once in grace always in grace. ' ' 

Notice how much effort the early church put forth in confirming 
converts. They sent Barnabas to strengthen these new lambs of 
the flock, and he did it by urging them, to entire consecration. 
How different from the modern idea of telling them to ''go to 
work." Entire consecration brings the establishing grace of 



134 



COMMENTARY ON 



God. There ought to be more such efforts put upon young 
converts. 

No wonder they had great additions to their number under 
such a ministry. Holiness work carried on by holy men always 
increases the flock and makes the work flourish generally. Barna- 
bas saw that the fields were white for the harvest and so he went 
back to Tarsus, to get Saul (Paul) as helper. Saul had been in 
Tarsus, his native city, for some time (See Chapter 9:30). 
Barnabas knew that Saul had been called to preach to the Gentiles 
at the time he was converted (Chapter 9:15). Saul probably 
would have preferred preaching to the Jews (See Eom. 10:1). 
Saul being well versed in the Greek language would be especially 
helpful at Antioch, where the people largely spoke Greek. So for 
a year these two preached the gospel, or as verse 26 says, 
"taught." Great honor is given to teachers in the Bible. Jesus 
and Paul were teachers. Some are in this day dazzled by the 
gifts of the evangelist and are inclined to depreciate the Christian 
teacher. 

Here we have a very important statement worthy of our 
especial attention. It is this, ' ' The disciples were called Christians 
first in Antioch, ' ' Mankind are continually coining new words, 
as principles develop, in the world's progress. Here the term 
Christian is introduced into society; a word never to become 
obsolete; a term that has had great influence and effect in the 
world for nearly twenty centuries. 

It is not known whether it was given by the enemies of Christ 
or by his friends — probably by the former, as a term of reproach, 
just as Puritan and Methodist were originally given in reproach 
by enemies. The word is used only three times in the Bible and 
certainly once if not three times as a term of reproach. Agrippa 
said to Paul, ''Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 
The people of God are called in the New Testament ' ' saints ' ' 
sixty times; also ''believers," "the faithful," "brethren" and 
' ' disciples. ' ' All of these names are more or less popular, except 
the term "saints." The word means "holy ones," and as holi- 
ness is not popular, neither is that term. Some denominations 
call themselves "Christians" who would start back in horror if 
called "saintsj" and yet that is the term that the Bible uses 
most. 



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135 



THE BENEVOLENCE OF THE PENTECOSTAL 
CHUECH. Vs. 27-30. 

27 And in tbese days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified 
hj the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the 
world : which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 

29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, deter- 
mined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea : 

30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of 
Barnabas and Saul. 

Holy people are kind and benevolent to the poor, and here we 
have the account of their benevolence in taking collections for the 
poor saints in a famine. 

A prophet by the name of Agabus had come to Antioch and 
told them of the approaching famine. A prophet is one, not 
merely one who predicts future events, but one whor speaks for God. 
We find several allusions in the New Testament to prophets. See 
Acts 13:1; 15:32; 19:6, and 21:9-10. 



\ 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE PRAYERS OF HOLY PEOPLE. 

The Extremity that Prompted Prayer. Vs. 1-6. The Answer to 
Prayer. Vs. 7-12. The Prayer Meeting Broken Up by the 
Answer to the Prayer. Vs. 13-19. The Doom of the Perse- 
cutor. Vs. 20-25. 

THE EXTREMITY THAT PEOMPTED PRAYER. Vs. 1-6. 

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands 
to vex certain of the church. 

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further 
to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and 
delivered him to four quaternions) of soldiers to keep him ; intendtag 
after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison : but prayer was made with- 
out ceasing of the church unto God for him. 

6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night 
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains : and 
the keepers before the door kept the prison. 

About the time that Barnabas and Saul were holding meetings 
in Antioeh, a new persecution had begun at Jerusalem. This 
chapter is an account of the death of James and the arrest and 
deliverance of Peter during this persecution. The circumstances 
that led to the persecution were these : Herod Agrippa, the grand- 
son of that Herod the Great who had destroyed the babies at 
Bethlehem, had now come into power, appointed by the Romans. 
We must not confuse him with his son, Herod Agrippa, mentioned 
in chapter 26. He was a grandson of Herod the Great and father 
of the Herod Agrippa before whom Paul made his defence in 
chapter 26. There were, therefore, three Herods — a blood thirsty 
set. 



137 



138 



COMMENTARY ON 



This Herod Agrippa killed James, the brother of JohD, 
probably by beheading him with the sword, a peculiarly disgraceful 
death in the eyes of the Jews. This James was the older brother 
of John. They were the sons of Zebedee, and were called "Sons 
of thunder." (Mark 3:17.) He, with his brother John, had 
asked to sit on the right and left hand in the kingdom of Jesus, 
and had said that they could drink of the cup that Jesus drank and 
be baptized with the baptism with which he was baptized. They 
little knew what that meant when they so spoke. It was the cup 
and baptism of suffering and death. James was the first of the 
apostles to be put to death. Very little is known of him before 
Pentecost. In fact, of the original twelve apostles, little is 
known of any, except Peter, John and Judas. James was the 
first to go to Paradise to live forever with his Master. "We hear 
nothing special about his martyrdom as we do of that of Stephen, 
whether it was triumphant or not. After all it does not make so 
much difference as to the manner of our death. It is the spirit, 
in which we meet it, that counts. 

Herod was a man of policy. He was a native of Idumea, a 
Roman by education and had great admiration for the Jewish 
religion. So, of course, he hated these followers of Jesus, the 
despised Nazarene. He desired to be popular with the Jews and 
when he saw that the death of James pleased the Jews, he seized 
Peter, in order to put him to death also. But it being during the 
days of the Passover, it was not lawful among the Jews to put 
any one to death. So Peter was kept in prison. After Easter 
(or the Passover) Herod had determined to kill him. (The word 
Easter should have been translated Passover.) Translators put it 
in, to let English readers know when this was, for Easter occurs 
on the same time as the Passover. 

So they put Peter in prison and guarded him with four quar- 
ternions of soldiers. A quarternion was a guard of four soldiers. 
The night before Peter was to be brought forth, these soldiers 
were guarding him. The night from 6 to 6 A. M. was divided 
into four watches, of three hours each. Each quarternion (four 
soldiers) guarded him three hours until relieved by the next four, 
and so on. Two of each quarternion were chained to Peter so 
that he could not escape, and two soldiers stood before the door. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



139 



Xow was the church in great extremity. James was dead and 
it looked as if there were no help for Peter. What a comfort it 
is, that we have a throne of grace, a mercy seat to which we can go 
in time of distress! How God loves to succor his church in times 
of trouble. If the Christian church had not been of divine origin, 
it would have been wiped off the face of the earth long ago. No 
other institution has had to endure what the church has. Outside 
enemies have never yet harmed it, when it has been true to God. 
The only enemies worth fearing are the foes within. How many 
times the church has fought out the battle and won the victory 
upon its knees. It did look now as if its leader, Peter, was to be 
slain. And so the church went to praying, ''But." The word 
**but" is very significant. "But prayer was made without ceas- 
ing of the church unto God for him." 

We learn here that it is not only proper and scriptural to pray 
for the preacher, but it avails much. There are preachers today 
that are in a worse condition than Peter. They are imprisoned 
within the world of unbelief, destructive higher criticism, and 
worldliness — men, some of them, who once, like Peter, were spiritual 
leaders. The trouble is, there is no holy church like that of Pente- 
cost, to pray them out. A holy church can do much in this line of 
praying their preachers out of the bondage of churchianity and 
formality. 

While they were praying the impetuous Peter was lying quietly 
asleep between two soldiers. This showed that he had the victory. 
A man doomed to die can not usually sleep the night before. But 
Peter slept. He had his heart purified by faith at Pentecost. The 
fear was all gone. Eeview Peter 's experience and see the progress 
he had made. Eashness of spasmodic courage had impelled him to 
attack a crowd and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest 
(John 18:10). Lack of moral courage had caused him to deny 
Jesus before a little girl. Being sanctified and filled with moral 
courage, he boldly attacked the Jewish people for crucifying 
Jesus (Acts 3:15) and now he has the solid courage of self control 
and perfect faitti that enabled him to sleep right on the verge of 
the grave. God ''giveth his beloved sleep." This is the highest 
kind of courage. This shows what holiness will accomplish in a 



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COMMENTARY ON 



man's character. He had the blessing sure — ready to live or die, 
as might be. 

And so God delivered Peter, v^hile he let James go home to live 
with Jesus. He still had use for Peter, and so he kept him a while 
longer in a sinful world, but allowed James the great privilege of 
going home to live with him. See the two pictures of faith. The 
church praying; Peter sleeping — faith active, and passive. Which 
was the greater faith? We think the latter. It was perfect 
faith. * ' He that believeth shall not make haste. ' ' Perfect faith 
is to pray and then act as if prayer was to be answered. Amen. 

Now notice how God worked. He has many ways of working. 
We must not dictate how he shall answer our prayers, because he 
knows the best way of answering. God sent an angel to help him 
out. He greaiy iie^ led a guide at this time. Notice the ministry 
of angels in this chapter. No chapter in the Bible seems to so 
fully show the different offices of angels as this chapter. Here we 
learn that angels are messengers of God. (The word angel means 
messenger.) The angel imtructed and delivered Peter. The 
doctrine of guardian angels is taught in Vs. 15. An angel smote 
Herod in judgment (Vs. 23). So we learn in this chapter that 
angels are messengers of God, to deliver, instruct and guard the 
holy and inflict judgment on the wicked. 

THE ANSWER TO PEAYEE. Vs. 7-12. 

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon Mm, and a light 
shined In the prison : and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him 
up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy 
sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment 
about thee and follow me. 

9 And he went out, and followed him ; and wist not that it was 
true which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision. 

10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came 
unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city ; which opened to them 
of his own accord : and they went out, and passed on through one 
street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said. Now I know of a 
surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out 
of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of 
the Jews. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



\ 

141 



12 And when he had considered the things he came to the house 
of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark ; where many 
were gathered together praying. 

So the church were most earnestly praying; and Peter lying in 
an apparently hopeless condition, is suddenly visited by an angel, 
who came with a great dazzling light. Peter was sleeping so 
soundly that the angel had to strike him on his side to arouse him, 
and even had to lift him up. And at the same time his chains 
fell off, while the angel told him to arise and put on his garments 
or tighten the girdle that bound them, and put on his cloak. Peter 
was so dazed that he needed to be told what to do. This shows 
that there was plenty of time — no need of any hurry. Peter not 
only escaped but had time to take all his clothes with him. Peter 
doubtless was so dazed that he thought he was in another trance, 
as at the house of Simon in Joppa (Chapter 10:10). 

Peter, when he came to himself (Vs. 11) immediately recognized 
it all as the providence of God. In our day there are occurrences 
so striking that although there may be no angel helper, yet there 
can be no doubt that God is leading. He now considered what it 
was best to do. It was natural that he should turn to his special 
friends. So he went to the house of Mary the mother of Mark. 
This was the Mark who wrote the second gospel. He was a 
convert under the preaching of Peter (1 Peter 5:13). He found 
a prayer meeting going on, although it was evidently quite early 
in the morning, for we read in verse 18 that his escape was noticed 
at day break. As the guards were changed every three hours, 
had his escape been in the first part of the night it would have 
been discovered before day break. This holy church prayed 
through even if it took all night until they got the answer to 
their prayers. So we have here another proof that God directly 
answers prayer. 

THE PRAYER MEETING BROKEN UP BY THE ANSWER 
TO THE PRAYER. Vs. 13-19. 

13 And as Peter knocked at the doer of the gate, a damsel came 
to hearken, named Rhoda. 

14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for 
gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 



142 



COMMENTARY ON 



15 And tbey said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly 
affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 

16 But Peter continued knocking : and when they had opened the 
door, and saw him, they were astonished. 

17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their 
peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the 
prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the 
brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the 
soldiers, what was become of Peter. 

19 And when Herod had sought for him' and found him not, he 
examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. 
And he went down from Judsea to Caesarea, and there abode. 

Peter came to the door and knocked. A servant went to the 
door and recognized Peter's voice. This shows that he was no 
stranger, but had evidently been there often. Here is a touch of 
nature — the servant * ' opened not the door for gladness. ' ' Her 
joy overcame her. She ran in and broke up the prayer meeting 
by declaring that Peter was there. We have seen prayers stopped 
by the answer in the salvation of the souls being prayed for. The 
people in the house told the girl that she was crazy. The answer 
to prayer sometimes seems incredible. We do not know whether 
they were praying for Peter's deliverance or praying for him in a 
general manner, but in either case the answer was remarkable, and 
beyond their expectations. 

They thought that it was his angel. The Jews believed that 
every one has a guardian angel. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 
18:10. 

So great was the hubbub — all talking at once, that Peter had 
to hush their noise, so as to make himself heard. He then told 
them to go and tell James — not the one who had been martyred, 
but the James, who was the brother of Jesus, and who afterwards 
became a pillar in the church. 

When daylight came, there was a great stir in the prison, 
because Peter could not be found. Herod commanded the keepers 
of the prison to be put to death. This was the usual punishment 
for guards, who allowed their prisoners to escape. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



143 



THE DOOM OF THE PEESECUTOR. Vs. 20-25. 

20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and 
Sidon : but they came with one accord to him, and having made 
Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace ; because their 
country was nourished by the king's country. 

21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon 
his throne, and made an oration unto them. 

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god. 
and not a man. 

23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he 
gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the 
ghost. 

24 But the word of God grew and mutiplied. 

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they 
had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname 
was Mark. 

Tyre and Sidon were two maritime cities of great importance 
on the Mediterranean Sea. Herod had become very angry with 
them for some reason. They evidently became frightened at the 
anger of Herod, so they made his chamberlain, Blastus, their 
friend, who became a mediator between them and Herod. This 
people very obsequiously made homage to Herod as he sat on his 
throne arrayed in gorgeous apparel, and said his voice was that 
"of a god and not man." An angel of God smote him and he 
was eaten by worms. So died the persecutor. 

How different the mission of the different angels. An angel 
led Peter out of his clutches. An angel smote Herod. Notice the 
crisis of Herod's death. He had started to build a great wall 
about Jerusalem, which was never finished. Had it been finished 
the Eomans probably never could have taken Jerusalem, as Jesus 
had prophesied. So we seen the hand of G-od in his death at this 
time. His death put an end to the persecution of the Christians, 
as his successors had no such vindictive disposition. So his death 
accomplished two purposes. His fatal disease was caused because 
the angel of the Lord smote him. Here we have a refutation of 
the erroneous doctrine that all sickness and disease are caused by 
the devil. The angel of the Lord smote him. He was eaten of 
worms. Had the devil done it, he must have created the worms, 
but the devil is not a creator. 



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''But the word of God grew and multiplied." Herod the 
persecutor died, but the cause of God went right on. So it has 
been through all the ages. Men get in the way of the gospel and 
are crushed, but the gospel goes right on. Nothing can thwart 
the plans of God. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
HOLINESS AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 

A Holy Church is Intent in Foreign Missions. Vs. 1-4. The First 
Foreign Mission. Vs. 5-13. The Second Foreign Mission Work. 
Vs. 14-52. 

A HOLY CHUECH IS INTENT IN FOEEIGN MISSIONS. 

Vs. 1-4. 

1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain 
prophets and teachers ; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called 
Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought 
up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost 
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have 
called them. 

3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on 
them, they sent them away. 

4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto 
Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 

Who was the originator of foreign missions? The Holy Ghost. 
This chapter contains the account of the beginning of the first 
missionary expedition to the Gentiles. Verse 2 says that the Holy 
Ghost commanded that the church at Antioch should ordain Bar- 
nabas and Saul for the work of carrying the Gospel to the Gen- 
tiles. Saul kept in the foreign missionary work until he died in 
Eome, the capital of the world, about seventeen years later. Those 
professed Christians who are opposed to foreign missions ought 
to be informed that they are opposing the work originated by the 
Holy Ghost. Holiness and foreign missions are forever linked 
together, A man fiUed with the Holy Ghost will always be in- 
terested in this work originated by the Holy Ghost. No man 
filled with the Spirit, can be opposed or indifferent to this great 
work originated by the Holy Spirit. 



145 



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COMMENTARY ON 



This chapter is full of incidents in the history of the in- 
augurating of foreign missions. Let us note these historic events. 

The place of the birth of foreign missions was the Gentile 
church at Antioch. It seems there were quite a number of prophets 
and teachers in Antioch. All who have the fullness of the bless- 
ing feel the mighty impulse to go and tell the world the glad 
tidings. This is the characteristic of the experience. No doubt 
this church was fasting and praying (Vs. 2 and 3) for divine 
guidance. Fasting in the New Testament was always appointed 
for some special purpose. They were no set regular fasts. It 
was only in special emergencies. There is no merit in fasting 
of itself. It, like prayer, is a means to an end. With the great 
world before them, no wonder they wanted special light as to 
where they should begin. 

While they were ministering to the Lord — not preaching, nor 
offering mass, as Catholic interpreters have tried to make it ap- 
pear, — the Holy Ghost spoke to them. This shows that the Holy 
Ghost is a person of the Godhead — not an influence as some peo- 
ple seem to think. We do not know in what manner the Holy 
Ghost spoke to them. But we know from this that the Holy 
Ghost calls men to be missionaries. They get their authority, not 
from men but from God. The missionaries, Saul and Barnabas, 
did not go until the church had recognized the call and set them 
apart. There was no ' ' Come-out-ism ' ' in their work. They 
worked through the regular orderly methods of the church. 

So they laid their hands upon them. The ceremony of the 
laying on of hands was a symbol expressing the thought that the 
church was bestowing its blessing upon them. Notice the church 
gave something more precious than money. It gave its two best 
men to the foreign missionary cause. In these days there seems 
to be more stress laid upon raising money than men. It takes the 
very best men to make good foreign missionaries, 

' ' They, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost. ' ' Vs. 2. It says 
in Vs. 3 that the church sent them. The fact is both the church 
and the Holy Spirit worked together. The Holy Spirit sent them 
through the church. So we learn the great truth that the Holy 
Ghost works through the church. This is a direct proof of this 
fact. 



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147 



THE FIRST FOEEIGN MISSION WORK. Vs. 5-13. 

5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God 
in the synagogues of the Jews : and they had also John to their min- 
ister. 

e And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they 
found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was 
Bar-jesus : 

7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a 
prudent man ; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear 
the word of God. 

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) 
withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith, 

9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, 
set his eyes on him, 

10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of 
the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to per- 
vert the right ways of the Lord? 

11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou 
Shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there 
fell on him a mist and a darkness ; and he went about seeking some to 
lead him by the hand. 

12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being 
astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. 

13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came 
to Perga in Pamphylia : and John departing from them returned to 
Jerusalem. 

They embarked at Seleucia, the sea port of Antioch, fifteen 
miles distant, and sailed out into the Mediterranean Sea to the 
island of Cyprus, which was about sixty miles west. This must 
have delighted Barnabas for Cyprus was his native country. (See 
Chapter 4:36.) They landed at Salamis, on the eastern coast, and 
passed through the island — it was about one hundred and forty 
miles long. They finally reached Paphos, a sea port on the western 
coast, and there in that heathen city began their preaching to the 
Gentiles. Paphos was renowned in Grecian mythology as the place 
where Venus arose from the sea. There was a temple here to the 
licentious, vile worship of Venus. 

The first contest that Jesus had after being baptized and thus 
qualified for his life work, was with Satan. Evil spirits also en- 
tered into men at the time to oppose his work. James and Jam- 
bres, the magicians of Pharaoh, opposed Moses at the beginning 
of his work. So here as Paul is about to begin his missionary 



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work, he is opposed by a magician, who was not unlike a modern 
fortune teller, except that he claimed to have control over the 
inferior demons. No doubt they did have much help from the 
devil as modern spiritualism does. Kings and governors of that 
day thought it necessary to have such men in their employ and 
were greatly influenced by them. 

The proconsul (or deputy), who was appointed by the Roman 
government to rule the island, had one of these magicians in his 
court, upon whom he depended a great deal. This magician was 
a renegade Jew named Bar- Jesus — (the word means Son of 
Jesus). This man in his arrogance had styled himself Elymas, an 
Arabic word meaning wise man. 

Critics of the Bible have denied that this island colony had 
the dignity imposed on it, of a proconsulate, and have said the 
writer was mistaken, and hence that this is a proof that the ac- 
count is not inspired. But a passage has been found written by 
a heathen writer which says it was governed by proconsuls, and 
coins have been found applying the name proconsul to the govern- 
ment of Cyprus. This is like the other attempts to disprove the 
inspiration of the Bible. 

This man like the craftsmen of Chapter 19:27 felt that his 
business was endangered by the preaching of the Gospel by Paul. 
Every evil business gets into conflict with the real Gospel. Bar- 
Je&us saw that the intelligent, prudent, honest-hearted proconsul 
was likely to be a convert and so he opposed Paul. The Holy 
Spirit had been, according to his usual method, convicting him 
and so he listened to Paul hoping for that satisfaction of soul 
which heathendom had not given him. Religious teachers who 
can not give their people the satisfaction of soul and sense of 
salvation that true religion gives, need not be surprised if they go 
where they can get it. If we were a preacher and could not hold 
our people, who went to hear holiness preaching, we would either 
give them this soul satisfying Gospel, or quit preaching. 

Here at the beginning of this first missionary journey we 
first hear the great apostle callel Paul instead of Saul. He prob- 
ably had both names from childhood, as he was both a Jew and a 
Roman citizen (Acts 22:3). He doubtless, as he was now g*oing 
to preach to the Gentiles, dropped his Hebrew name, Saul, and 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



149 



went by his Eoman name, Paul, in order to be more acceptable 
to the Gentiles. There are several in Scripture who had two 
names, as Simon Peter, and Joses Barnabas (Chapter 4:36). It 
was a frequent custom among the Jews to take Roman names, 
after the Romans had conquered Judea. The use of the name 
Paul shows the change in his life work— his mission to the Gentiles. 

Paul filled with the Holy Ghost" rebuked the sorcerer. 
There are some people in this day who say that no one was ever 
filled with the Holy Ghost. This contradicts their assertion. There 
are others who think that rebuke is harshness and shows that we 
have not the Spirit if we rebuke. But Paul was filled with the 
Holy Ghost and spoke very sharply to this man. Stephen was a 
man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost and he rebuked the San- 
hedrim and actually called them ' ' stiff necked and uncircum- 
cised in heart and ears." (Acts 7:51.) Peter, a man whose heart 
had been purified at Pentecost, rebuked another pretended sor- 
cerer, Simon Magus (Acts 8:20-22). (The difference between 
this man Elymas and Simon Magus was the latter repented or 
at least appeared to do so.) Paul calls Bar- Jesus "son of the 
devil." So we learn that the devil has children as well as the 
Lord. Jesus said the same thing. (John 8:44.) Notice the 
characteristics of a son of the devil — ''full of all subtility and 
deceit, enemy of all righteousness." A ''perverter of the right 
ways of the Lord." (Vs. 10.) What a combination of wicked- 
ness was in this renegade Jew! What a consummation of total 
depravity! Paul charges him with perverting "the right ways of 
the Lord." This is the most dangerous of all the attacks made 
upon the cause of God. The right ways of the Lord are the 
doctrines of the Holy Spirit cleansing the heart from all sin and 
filling it and leading, inspiring and communing with man. He 
had perverted this doctrine and made it into fortune telling and 
pretended communication with the spirit- world. He was on a par 
with modern spiritism which claims to hold communion with the 
spirit world, thus perverting the right ways of the Lord. The 
most dangerous fanaticism and heresies are those that embody 
enough truth to deceive and are just enough tinctured with error 
to make them fatal to souls. Satan transforms himself into an 
angel of light. No one will bite a bare hook. So the devil baits 



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the hook of heresy with just enough truth to cover the point of 
danger. 

The judgment of God fell immediately upon the man. He 
was stricken with temporary blindness, symbolical of the darkness 
and blindness he had been seeking to lead others into. This ought 
to admonish those who seek to lead souls away from the truth. 

At the beginning of every great epoch God has seen fit to allow 
miracles to be performed, to properly accredit the work. And so 
here we have the instance of Elymas stricken with sudden blind- 
ness to convince the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was by this 
means led to believe. 

John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of St. Mark, now left 
them and returned to Jerusalem. ' ' No reason is assigned for this 
departure; that it seemed unreasonable to Paul and an evidence 
of weakness, irresolution, or lack of faith is evident from the apos- 
tle 's refusal to take him as a- traveling companion on the second 
missionary tour (Chapter 15:37-38). Various explanations have 
been proposed; as that he feared the hazardous journey; that he 
hesitated to commit himself to the work of preaching the Gospel 
to the Gentiles; that he was offended because Barnabas, who was 
a relative of Mark, no longer held the paramount place, which 
was henceforth held by Paul; that his mother dwelt at Jerusa- 
lem (Chapter 12:12) and that fear and filial love combined to 
call him back. However this may be, if he was, as verse 5 implies, 
the agent and servant of Paul and Barnabas, having charge of 
all arrangements for their entertainment, etc., and answering to 
the modern courier, his departure would have necessarily involved 
great personal inconvenience to them, and a serious embarrass- 
ment in their work, quite adequate to account for Paul's subse- 
quent unwillingness to take him again in the same capacity." 
(Abbott.) In the latter part of Paul's ministry Mark worked 
with, him and was much esteemed by him (2 Tim. 4:11). 

THE SECOND MISSION WORK. Vs. 14-52. 

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in 
Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat 
down. 

15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



151 



the synagogue sent unto them, saying. Ye men and brethren, if ye have 
any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 

16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with Ms hand said. Men 
of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 

17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and ex- 
alted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, 
and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 

18 And about the time of forty years sufEered he their manners 
in the wilderness. 

19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Cha- 
naan, he divided their land to them by lot. 

20 And after that' he gave unto them judges about the space of 
four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 

21 And afterward they desired a king : and God gave unto them 
Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of 
forty years. 

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David 
to be their king ; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have 
found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which 
shall fulfil all my will. 

23 Of this man's seed hath God according to Ms promise raised 
unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus : 

24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of 
repentance to all the people of Israel. 

25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that 
I am ? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose 
shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. 

26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and 
whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salva- 
tion sent. 

27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because 
they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read 
every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. 

28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired 
they Pilate that he should be slain. 

29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they 
took Mm down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 

30 But God raised him from the dead : 

31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him 
from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 

32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise 
which was made unto the fathers, 

33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he 
hcth raised up Jesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm, 
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, noto no 



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more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the 
sure mercies of David. 

35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm. Thou shalt not suf- 
fer thine Holy One to see corruption. 

36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of 
God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption : 

37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. 

38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that 
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : 

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, 
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken 
of in the prophets ; 

41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish : for I work a 
work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though 
a man declare it unto you. 

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gen- 
tiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next 
sabbath. 

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the 
Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas : who, speak- 
ing to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 

44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city to- 
gether to hear the word of God. 

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with 
envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, 
contradicting and blaspheming. 

46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was neces- 
sary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you : but 
seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlast- 
ing life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 

47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to 
be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the 
ends of the earth. 

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified 
the word of the Lord : and as many as were ordained to eternal life 
believed. 

49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the 
region. 

50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, 
and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and 
Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 

51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came 
unto Iconium. 

32 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy 
Ghost. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



153 



They now sailed from Paphos to Perga on the main land, 
and from Perga they went one hundred miles north to another 
Antioch situated in Pisidia. When the Sabbath day came they 
went into the Jewish synagogue to worship. 

It was customary after the passage in the Old Testament for 
the day had been read, to invite strangers who were Rabbis to 
speak. So the board of elders, who ruled the synagogues, who 
were doubtless on the platform, sent an invitation to Paul to 
speak. Paul stood up and beckoning with his hand, gave his first 
recorded address, or sermon. He addressed the sermon as will 
be seen to two classes — ''Men of Israel," or those who were 
Hebrews and "ye that fear God" or proselytes. Many Gentiles 
as we have seen before had become worshippers of Jehovah and 
were called proselytes. It is interesting to compare this first 
recorded sermon of Paul with the sermon of Stephen (Acts 7) 
and the sermons of Peter in Acts second, third and fourth chap- 
ters, and notice how closely all these preachers stuck to the Scrip- 
tures which they made the basis of their sermons. Here we get 
a lesson on how to address those, who do not see things as we do. 
Paul started his argument with that which the hearers and him- 
self both believed — the Scriptures. Unless we can start on the 
common level of that which others and ourselves believe, it will 
be impossible to reach them. When Bishop Taylor pr-eached to 
the heathen, he began with the moral law, which the consciences 
of his hearers apprehended, and gradually led them to see the 
need of the Gospel. It would have been a mistake to have started 
with them by taking a text from Scripture. 

So Paul begins his sermon by quoting Old Testament history. 
''The beginning of this discourse, verses 17, 18, 19, has Greek 
words which are both rare and altogether peculiar to the Scrip- 
ture ("exalted," "suifered their manners" and "divided ty 
lot") of which the first occurs in Isaiah 1:2 and is translated 
there "hrought up," the second and third in Deut. 1:31, 38. And 
moreover, these two chapters, Deut. 1 and Isaiah 1 are to this 
day read on one Sabbath; whence it is suflS.ciently certain that 
both were read on that very Sabbath, and in Greek; and that Paul 
referred especially to that reading of Moses and the prophets 
mentioned in verse 15. For even the mention of the Judges 



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(Vs. 20) agrees with the lesson Isaiah 1:26, and the Jews were 
wont to take their discourses or their beginnings from the Sabbath 
lesson in the synagogue." (Bengel.) Preachers filled with the 
Holy Ghost are intensely scriptural in their preaching. So Paul 
tells them that God chose them and raised them up, when they 
were crushed under the slavery of Egypt; brought them out of 
Egypt and nourished them for forty years in the wilderness; 
destroyed the seven nations — the Hittites, Girgashites, Amoiites, 
Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. These nations had 
become very wicked and God had to punish them, through the 
people, Israel. God punishes nations in this world. God divided 
the land thus rid of the seven nations among his people, and then 
gave them judges to rule over them until the days of the prophets, 
of whom Samuel was the first of the regular line of prophets — i. e., 
teachers which ran on in unbroken succession down to the time 
that the Jews were carried away captive into Babylon. Then he 
gave them a king — Saul — for forty years, succeeded by David — 
a man after God's own heart. And from David's stock God 
brought the Saviour Jesus. Paul thus by a review of the Old 
Testament history brought his hearers from Israel in Egypt down 
the stream of history for 1,500 years, to the time of Jesus, and 
showed them that Jesus was given ' ' according to promise. ' ' So 
Paul took the Old Testament to lead these Jews to Christ. A 
scriptural ministry will always be a successful ministry. 

He shows that Jesus came when John had first preached the 
baptism of repentance. Jesus did not begin to preach until John 
had finished his ministry and had been imprisoned. John preached 
to all Israel — not to the Gentiles. Both Jesus and John preached only 
to the church. Some in our days object to preaching much to the 
church. But Jesus and John did it. They never preached to the 
outside world until the church was entirely sanctified at Pentecost. 

John fulfilled his course (Vs. 25). His ministry of preaching 
was all completed. But Jesus' ministry is still going on and 
will go on until his second coming. He is now preaching through 
his church to the world. Having arrived in the discussion at the 
time of John the Baptist, he reminds them that John had testi- 
fied of Jesus and they had heard him so testify. 

Paul now tells them the Jesus, whom God had raised from the 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



155 



dead was now offered to them as a Saviour, while the rulers be- 
cause they did not know Jesus nor recognize him as prophesied 
in the prophets which they read every Sabbath day, had con- 
demned Jesus, just as their own prophecies in which they read 
every Sabbath day in their synagogues had foretold. They weie 
reading the scriptures that had foretold the very thing they would 
do — condemn Jesus. We have here a very significant lesson that 
men may read and study the scriptures a great deal, to little or 
no advantage or purpose. The Jews did not see at all Jesus in 
the Old Testament. It is true too that we live in a day of great 
study of the Bible and how few really see the Holy Spirit and 
Ms work in the Bible! How few see holiness, the central idea of 
the Bible! Thousands of people today interpret the Bible as the 
Jews did, in accordance with their own prejudices and precon- 
ceived notions. The great deliverance from sin of which the 
Bible constantly speaks is looked upon as a fanaticism by thou- 
sands of zealous Bible students. 

The first indictment then that Paul had against the Jerusalem 
Jews and their rulers was that they were too prejudiced to inter- 
pret the scripture honestly and so failed to recognize Jesus as 
the Messiah. The second indictment was that they were so preju- 
diced against him, as to demand his death when they found no 
cause in him for death. Even Pilate, a Koman, said, find no 
fault in him." 

But Paul says notwithstanding they had crucified and buried 
him, God raised him from the dead, and thus vindicated him. 

Thus he lays a solid foundation of scriptural argument to 
enable him to say without fear of contradiction that he brought 
the good tidings — that the promises made to their fathers could 
be fulfilled to their children. 

Paul now goes on to state for the first time on record his the- 
ology concerning justification by faith, which is the great doc- 
trine by which Paul is best known, which he so clearly states and 
proves in his Epistle to the Eomans. To be justified is to be 
acquitted and pardoned in the court of Heaven. This God does 
because he accepts the sacrifice of Jesus, our substitute. The 
condition of justification is our faith. Men under the law had 



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COMMENTARY ON 



been seeking to be justified by their good works. This was under 
the Old Testament dispensation — the law of Moses. 

Having now brought his sermon down to justification by faith 
through Jesus Christ, he now closes his sermon with an exhorta- 
tion, bidding them beware lest they reject the Gospel and perish. 
Their danger was lest they might be angry because it was offered 
to every one, Jew and Gentile alike. He quotes from Habakkuk 
1:5, to enforce his warning, ''As if he had said 'Be on your 
guard, lest, by rejecting the salvation I have now offered you in 
the name of the Messiah, you should call down judgment upon 
yourselves as fearful and incredible as those predicted by Habak- 
kuk and inflicted by the hands of the Chaldeans upon our unbe- 
lieving father.' " (Alexander.) Here we get an illustration of 
the way we may use the Old Testament in preaching. 

The sermon took effect for many of the Jews and proselytes 
followed Paul and Barnabas, after they left the synagogue, and 
accepted the truth. And Paul and Barnabas persuaded them by 
additional instruction and exhortations to "remain in the grace 
of God." This means that they had come into the grace of God 
by believing the Gospel that they had heard. It also means that 
they could have fallen from grace if they wished. 

So great was the interest created by this service that almost 
the whole city came out the next Sabbath to hear the word. This 
made the Jews very angry. It was very difficult for the Jews to 
allow any liberty to the Gentiles to hear the Gospel. They were 
not willing to accord them the same religious privileges that they 
had themselves. Race and sectional prejudices are traits of the 
carnal mind. So they opposed Paul and Silas. This is the way 
the carnal mind works. Their arguments were offered because of 
their envy and hatred of the Gentiles — not because they had any 
good argument against the truth. 

But Paul and Barnabas being filled with the Spirit, instead of 
being frightened only grew bolder, and told them that it was 
their duty to offer the Gospel to them first, but having done their 
duty, now, they offered it to the Gentiles, seeing the Jews to 
whom it was first offered refused to receive it. They had judged 
themselves unworthy to receive it. They had refused it. In Luke 
14:15-24 by a parable Jesus had shown that the Jews had re- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



157 



eeived the first call and made excuse and now God was going to 
excuse them from having it, taking them at their word that they 
did not want it, and henceforth they would turn to the Gentiles. 
They showed that this had been prophesied by Isaiah. (Isa. 49:6.) 

The Gentile hearers rejoiced at this, ''And as many as were 
ordained to eternal life believed." This text has been the great 
occasion of controversy between Calvinism and Arminianism. It 
seems to mean, not predestination, but effectual calling of those 
who believe. No man can believe except God predispose his heart 
to believe. Even then he may refuse to believe and accept the 
light. "We know that it is God who worketh in us the will to 
believe, and that the preparation of the heart is of Him: but to 
find in this text preordination to life asserted is to force both 
the word and the context to a meaning which they do not con- 
tain. " (Alford.) No wonder that the word of God was ''pub- 
lished ' ' by these Gentiles throughout that region ! And no won- 
der persecution arose. It always does where there is a real work 
of grace, for the devil and the carnal mind both hate the truth. 
The persecution was originated and carried on by the women of 
high position. The women seemed to have influenced the men in 
this matter. When women are good, they are very good and 
vice versa. Persecution always helps a good cause. God's cause 
has always flourished best when most persecuted. Here we have 
a fact illustrating that which has always proved true, as seen in 
the modern holiness movement that when the truth first gets a 
fair hearing men embrace it and extol it until it runs counter to 
their prejudices or sins. Then persecution begins. 

So Paul and Barnabas were expelled from this country; first 
called Christians in Antioch of Syria and first expelled from the 
city of Antioch in Pisidia. They shook off the dust from their 
feet. This was a custom among the Jews. When they returned 
from a foreign country they shook off the dust from their feet 
as a token that they were separated entirely from it. Jesus told 
his disciples to do the same thing. (See Matt. 10:14.) So they 
departed to Iconium, a city a little distance south and west — not 
because they were afraid, but because Jesus had commanded, 
when persecuted in one city to flee to another. 

The disciples — that is, the new converts as well as Paul and 



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Barnabas '^were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost." That 
is what God does for his persecuted people. Let no one pity a 
Spirit-filled man that is persecuted. God always gives a special 
blessing to such. When we hear people whining about their per- 
secutions, we know they are not filled with the Holy Ghost, for 
if they had, their tribulations would not be worth speaking of, 
because of the great glory in them. Whining shows we are perse- 
cuted for our own sake and not for the sake of Jesus and the 
truth. Jesus told his people what to do when persecuted — ''Ee- 
joice, and be exceeding glad." (Matt. 5:11, 12.) He who fails 
to get the blessing especially promised in persecution, has evi- 
dently not had any spiritual blessing with his persecution. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



HOLINESS AND FOREIGN MISSIONS (Continued). 

COMPLETION OF THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY. 
Vs. 1-28. 

1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together 
into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude 
both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their 
minds evil afEected against the brethren. 

3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, 
which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs 
and wonders to be done by their hands. 

4 But the multitude of the city was divided : and part held with 
the Jews, and part with the apostles. 

5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and 
also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to 
stone them, 

6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of 
Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about : 

7 And there they preached the gospel. 

8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, 
being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked : 

9 The same heard Paul speak : who stedfastly beholding him, and 
perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 

10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he 
leaped and walked. 

11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up 
their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down 
to us in the likeness of men. 

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter ; and Paul, Mercurius, be- 
cause he was the chief speaker. 

13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought 
oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with 
the people. 

14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they 
rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 

15 And saying. Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men 
of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn 

159 



160 



COMMENTABY ON 



from these vanities unto tlie living God, whicli made heaven, and 
earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein : 

16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own 
ways. 

17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he 
did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling 
our hearts with food and gladness. 

18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that 
they had not done sacrifice unto them. 

19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Ico- 
nium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him 
out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 

20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, 
and came into the city : and the next day he departed with Barnabas 
to Derbe. 

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and 
had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and 
Antioch. 

22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to 
continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter 
into the kingdom of God. 

23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and 
had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom 
they believed. 

24 And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to 
Pamphylia. 

25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went 
down into Attalia : 

26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been 
recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. 

27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church to- 
gether, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he 
had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 

28 And there they abode long time with the disciples. 

This chapter is a continuation of the missionary tour of Paul 
and Barnabas. It is not known how long they remained at 
Iconium. But they met with the same treatment that effective 
preachers of the gospel meet — success and opposition. The two 
go together. They who injure the devil's kingdom must expect 
him to show resentment. If we never meet with any opposition 
in our testimony and preaching, we may be sure that we are 
accomplishing very little in the war against sin no matter how 
successful we may appear to be. We can generally judge of the 
results of a revival, not only from the number of converts, but 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



161 



from the opposition that the revival arouses. Here we see the 
revival had both converts and opposition — "A great multitude, 
both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the un- 
believing Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds 
evil affected against the brethren. ' ' It has ever been the case 
that ecclesiasticism has been the greatest foe of Holy Ghost 
religion and has stirred the unbelieving world against it. Who 
opposed Wesley and Whitefield, and Finney and others most? 
Ecclesiastics. 

The enemies evidently, when signs and wonders were given by 
God to testify to the genuineness of the gospel which the dis- 
ciples preached, accused the disciples of being possessed by evil 
spirits, who did these miracles through them. This was the charge 
that was brought against Jesus, when he performed miracles. 

The antagonism to Paul and Barnabas finally became so 
great that they were about to assault them. They fled to Lystra 
and Darbe, cities not far distant. Thus they fulfilled the command 
of Jesus, when persecuted in one city, they were to flee to another, 
Timothy was a native of Lystra. Probably he was converted at 
this time. 

They began their ministry there by the healing of a cripple, 
just as Peter began his ministry with the healing of the lame 
man in the temple (Acts 3:2). Miracles have been the creden- 
tials that God has given his ambassadors at the beginning of 
every dispensation. Moses wrought miracles at the beginning of 
the dispensation of the law. Jesus performed miracles at the 
inauguration of the gospel dispensation and the apostles wrought 
miracles at this the beginning of the Holy Ghost dispensation. 
It was necessary in those days to show that the new dispensation 
was of God. This having been proven it is no more necessary to 
authenticate the present dispensation of which this was the 
beginning. So we are not to expect miracles in our day. The 
miracles of the Bible were performed to help humanity. They 
were entirely different from the feats of legerdemain, and wonders 
of false religions, performed for no purpose of blessing to any one. 
The very character of the miracles of Scripture is a proof of their 
divinity. So Paul performed the miracle of healing this lame 
man. He saw that the lame man had faith to be healed. So 



162 



COMMENTAEY ON 



he said with a loud voice, ''Stand upright" and the man did 
so. When Peter healed the lame man at the gate of the temple 
he took him by the hand and lifted him to encourage his faith. 
This man evidently had strong faith that only needed the en- 
couragement of a voice. It is difficult to overestimate the im- 
portance of faith. The Bible puts great stress upon it. Jesus 
honored faith in his earthly ministry, no matter who the person 
was who had it. 

The people when they saw the miracle, said that Paul and 
Barnabas were gods come down from heaven. This was in ac- 
cordance with their religious views. They believed their own 
deities sometimes came down to earth. So they called Barnabas, 
Jupiter and Paul, Mercury. They considered in their mythology 
Jupiter as the king of the gods and Mercury his messenger. 
''Observe here that it is Barnabas and not Paul, who is regarded 
as Jupiter, and compare this with the statement of Paul's ene- 
mies that his bodily presence was weak (2 Cor. 10:10). Hence 
we may reasonably surmise that he was of small stature. Of 
his power as a speaker, the Book of Acts affords many illus- 
trations. ' ' 

So the priests of Jupiter brought an oxen decked with gar- 
lands to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, which would have been 
done if Paul had not rent his garments, which was a token of 
grief, and ran out among the multitude. He was horror-stricken 
to think of having worship given to him. The true preacher of 
Jesus Christ will take no honor or worship to himself. How dif- 
ferent the great apostle to the Gentiles from the pope and 
preachers who receive homage from men! They are only men 
of like passions with other men! 

How adroitly and naturally Paul turns this incident into the 
text for a sermon on the goodness and providential care of God! 
The first thing in his sermon is the declaration that God created 
the world. This was a new, strange doctrine to them, as they, be- 
lieved generally that matter was uncreated, and hence eternal. 
The way to preach to heathen is to show them the evidences of 
the creator in his handiwork in nature. 

But the people were very fickle. Perhaps not more so accord- 
ing to their light than mankind in general, for it was not but a 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



163 



few days later when the same crowd, that had wanted to sacri- 
fice to them, tried to kill Paul. And all this revulsion of feelings 
and hatred was caused by the professed church of God — the Jews 
came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded these Gentiles 
to stone Paul, We see their vindictiveness and hatred in follow- 
ing Paul from city to city: Ungodly ecelesiasticism has ever been 
the foe of the Gospel in every age. It has ever persecuted the 
saints and incited the world to do the same. Pilate would never 
have crucified Jesus if an ungodly church had not urged him on. 
So they stoned Paul, as they did Stephen, and supposing him dead 
dragged him out of the city. But God was not through with him. 
*'A man is immortal until his work is done." As the disciples 
stood about him, he arose. God restored him to life. This is 
perhaps the time when he was caught up into the third heaven 
and had a revelation of divine glory which he mentions in 2 Cor. 
12:1-4. God must have given him strength to come into the city 
immediately and be as well apparently as before. Some think 
his eyesight was injured at this time and never fully restored, and 
that this weakness of the eyes as ''the thorn in the flesh" of 
which he speaks in 2 Cor. 12:7. His courage however did not 
fail him, for he reentered the city again (Vs. 21). So he de- 
parted for a season to Derbe. 

Notice on their return to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, they 
used an entirely different ministry. They gave their especial 
attention to the work of ''confirming the souls of the disciples." 
On their first visit, their attention was given to the work of 
making disciples, the second time it was to confirm them. 

There is reason to believe that this confirmation was the same 
as the confirmation that apostles gave to the converts at Samaria. 
It was the ministry of their receiving the Holy Ghost. It is quite 
evident (as we have had occasion to remark before) that the rite 
of confirmation as practiced in the Eoman Catholic, Episcopal and 
several other churches is the fossil remains of the giving of the 
Holy Ghost to those already regenerate; and that the disciples 
taught them to pray and believe for this gift. This was doubtless 
what they did and is what is meant by "confirming the souls of 
the disciples." The rite of confirmation as administered in the 
Roman Catholic Church has some marked allusions to this. Oil, 



164 



COMMENTARY ON 



the emblem of the Holy Spirit, is put on the forehead of the can- 
didate and he is said to have received the power to be a perfect 
Christian, 

They also exhorted the disciples to ''continue in the faith" — 
to live a life of faith in Jesus, the son of God. And not only 
that, but they also explained to them that God's appointed way 
for all his children is to enter heaven through tribulation. 
A careful reading of Paul's own letter to the Eomans, chapter 
5:1-5, will show that Paul understood this to be the divine order 
as we have just described it: justification by faith; entrance into 
the grace whereby ''we stand" (sanctification) also by faith; 
then glorying in tribulation. He tells in Vs. 3-5 why we should 
glory in tribulation, because it works patience and other graces. 
Then Paul and Barnabas selected elders for each individual 
church. A church is an assemblage of individuals called out of 
the world. There must be system, or no body of individuals can 
exist or do effective work. God has always blessed organized 
effort. So they prayed and fasted and set these elders before the 
Lord, asking his blessing upon them and their labors over the 
flock. (See parallel passage in Acts 20:28.) This ordination was 
evidently a formal, religious service, most suitable to impress upon 
both the elders and the people the solemn responsibilities of their 
office. "Thus the young disciples were not left long without 
systematic organizations. For edification and defense, each com- 
munity was constituted a corporation, and in each corporation 
elders were ordained. It was on the second visit of the mission- 
aries that this was done. An interval was permitted to elapse 
that the fittest men might emerge; and already the rule 'Lay 
hands suddenly on no man' was practiced, before it was pre- 
scribed." (Arnot.) 

So they returned to Antioch from which place the church had 
sent them forth by direction of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3) 
and thus completed the first missionary journey. They were ab- 
sent between two and three years. Only the most important 
events of their mission are given in chapters 13 and 14. The 
church gathered together in the first special missionary meeting 
ever held. Such meetings are still of great interest to holy people. 
Today such meetings are as full of inspiration as when the 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



165 



church gathered to hear the report of Paul and Silas, as to how 
God had opened the door of salvation to the Oentiles or heathen, 
as we would call them today; Paul and Barnabas remained about 
two years at Antioch. Paul was by no means idle while remain- 
ing in Antioch. 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE SYMBOLISM OF HOLINESS REALIZED. 

The Attitude of Mere Symbolism Towards Holiness. Vs. 1-6. 
The Meaning of the Symbol. Vs. 7-12. Holiness Puts All 
Disciples on a Level. Vs. 13-41. 

THE ATTITUDE OF MERE SYMBOLISM TOWARDS 
HOLINESS. Vs. 1-6. 

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the 
brethren and said. Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, 
ye cannot be saved. 

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and 
disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and 
certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles 
and elders about this question. 

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed 
through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles : 
and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of 
the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things 
that God had' done with them. 

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which 
believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to 
command them to keep the law of Moses. 

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this 
matter. 

We have seen in chapter 11 that there had already sprung 
up in the church a party who believed that circumcision was a 
requisite to salvation. They had already called Peter to account 
for mingling in social equality with the Gentiles at the house of 
Cornelius. Now certain men of the same party, members of the 
church at Jerusalem, came down to Antioch and told the saved 
brethren there that they could not be saved unless they were cir- 
cumcised. 



167 



168 COMMENTARY ON 

This they did on their own account. The church at Jerusalem 
had not sent them. It is one of the most singular things in the 
world that people can not mind their own business, but want to 
make their neighbors come to their standard. But so it is. A 
great many people want to own the souls of others and make 
them think, believe and act just as they do. 

This ritualistic party has never since died out of the church. 
But has been perpetuated through all the centuries. It is always 
opposed to spirituality in the church. It does not oppose the 
second work of grace because it is a second work, but because it 
is spiritual rather than ritualistic. It does not like real regen- 
eration any better, but rests its salvation on the external forms 
of religion — not circumcision now, to be sure, but baptism, 
church membership, good works, humanitarianism and sociology. 
All these are given prominence and preeminence. Hence we find 
in many churches, on the members of official boards, men who are 
not spiritual, and who give no more evidence of spiritual life 
than the outside world. They go to church and pay their dues 
and that is the substance of their religion. But alas! they have 
the controlling voice as to who shall be the preacher, how he 
shall preach and how much spirituality if any the church shall 
have. 

This ritualistic party at Jerusalem, was not spiritual. So they 
could not see any providential leading in the outpouring of the 
Holy Ghost on the Gentiles, who had not been circumcised. An 
unspiritual man never sees when and how the Spirit of God is 
working or whom he is endorsing. He sticks to his old traditions 
that he had while in the world. He never encourages spiritual 
advances in the movements of God in the church and the world. 
Paul in Galatians says of these troublers in the church who came 
down from Jerusalem that they were ''False brethren unawares 
brought in. ' ' All they got out of circumcision was the mere 
form. It meant no more to them than water baptism means to 
most people, who get no idea that it represents the washing away 
of sin. 

THE MEANING OF THE SYMBOL. Vs. 7-12. 

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and 
said unto them. Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



169 



God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear 
the word of the gospel, and believe. 

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giv- 
ing them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us ; 

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their 
hearts by faith. 

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the 
neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to 
bear? 

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord .lesus 
Christ we shall be saved, even as they. ' 

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to 
Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had 
wrought among the Gentiles by them. 

Moses had clearly told them that circumcision symbolized the 
cleansing of the heart from sin. In Deut. 30:6 he had said, 
''And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart 
of thy seed, to love the Lord, thy God, with all thine heart." 
Jeremiah had also shown that circumcision has a spiritual mean- 
ing, saying ''All the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart." 
Paul in Colosians explains this, showing that this circumcision was 
the purification of the heart, as he speaks of "the circumcision 
made without hands in putting off the body of the flesh through 
the circumcision of Christ." He tells the Romans that "circum- 
cision is that of the heart and in the spirit and not in the letter. ' ' 
Here tiien was a strange state of affairs: A party declaring it 
was impossible to be saved unless a certain symbol was practiced, 
and at the same time not believing in the experience of holiness 
that was symbolized by it. 

"These Pharisees arose up at this time in the assembly, and 
demanded that these Gentile converts be circumcised and required 
to keep the whole law; in other words, that they must become 
Jews before they could be Christians. Humanly speaking, the 
future of the church depended upon the decision of this question. 
If the Pharisaic party had triumphed, the Christian church would 
have been buried in the grave of Judaism." (Abbott.) 

So the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jeru- 
salem to see if the church at Jerusalem felt the same as these 
few brethren who had come to Antioch, disturbing their peace. 



170 



COMMENTARY ON 



This was the first time that Paul had met any of the apostles at 
Jerusalem except Peter and James. (See Gal. 1:18, 19.) 

These Jerusalem Jews thought the Gentiles were not conse- 
crated to God because they were not circumcised. Peter stands 
up and tells them that God bore them witness that they were 
consecrated by purifying their hearts, not by circumcision but 
by faith. The gift of the Holy Ghost proved that God was with 
them. 

Purifying their hearts by faith." This is one of the most 
important statements in the New Testament. It shows that 
religious forms are nothing in themselves, if they are not accom- 
panied by faith. It teaches that we must judge of a work that 
God blesses to be divine, no matter whether it agrees with our 
prejudices or not. The great lesson it teaches is that the blessing 
which the disciples obtained at Pentecost was purity of heart, 
for Peter says that God gave the people at the house of Cornelius 
"the Holy Ghost even as he did to us." They were purified in 
heart and it was the same (no difference) that the disciples had 
at the beginning of the dispensation; that is, at Pentecost. We 
had occasion to show in Acts 10:1-4 that Cornelius was a saved 
man, at the time he received the purifying baptism. This, any 
unprejudiced reader would admit. Those who are opposed to the 
second work of grace, whereby the heart is purified, are the only 
people, who reject the plain truth that these people were already 
saved. We quote from Lyman Abbott, a scholar and unprejudiced 
writer, who probably never had his attention called to the matter 
of the second definite work. He says, ' ' To the Judeans a refusal 
to be circumcised was an evidence of imperfect repentance and 
consecration, as with us a refusal to be baptized or make a public 
profession of faith. To this unexpressed feeling Peter replies 
that the heart knowing God has borne witness to the genuineness 
of their godly character (Italics are ours), by giving to them 
the Holy Ghost. ' ' 

We learn also that the heart is purified not by ceremonies,* 
good works, growth, naturalism, purgatory, culture, or evolution, 
but by faith. Paul also states the same doctrine as Peter in 
Acts 26:18, 'Hhem which are sanctified by faith." These are 
the only passages that definitely state the method by which the 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



171 



heart is purified. Is it not strange that on this important subject 
with an open Bible there should have been so many theories in 
the church as to the method by which our hearts are purified? 
There is no subject on which men ought to be so certain as this, 
for it is our fitness for heaven that is at stake. Yet many are 
relying on their own notions instead of the word of God. The 
ecclesiastical part of the church had only circumcision of the 
flesh and the Gentiles had circumcision of the heart. 

Peter declared to the church that it was tempting God to be 
displeased with these Gentiles, and to require them to be circum- 
cised whom God had already so greatly blessed. It was putting a 
religious yoke upon them. Verse 11 is not accurately rendered. 
It should be rendered, ''But through the grace of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, we trust to be saved, in which way also. ' ' Both Jews and 
Gentiles were saved in the same way — by faith. 

HOLINESS PUTS ALL DISCIPLES ON A LEVEL. Vs. 13-41. 

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, 
Men and brethren, hearken unto me : 

14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gen- 
tiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 

15 And to this agree the words of the prophets ; as it is written, 

16 After this I will return, and will huild again the tabernacle 
of David, which is fallen down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, 
and I will set it up : 

17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the 
Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all 
these things. 

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the 
world. 

19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which 
from among the Gentiles are turned to God : 

20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pol- 
lutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and 
from blood. 

21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach 
him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. 

22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole 
church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with 
Paul and Barnabas ; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, 
chief men among the brethren : 

23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner ; The apostles 



172 



COMMENTARY ON 



and elders and bretbren send greeting unto the brethren which are 
of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia : 

24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from 
us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye 
must be circumcised, and keep the law : to whom we gave no such 
commandment : 

25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to 
send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 

26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell 
you the same things by mouth. 

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon 
you no greater burden than these necessary things ; 

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, 
f'nd from things strangled, and from fornication : from which if ye 
keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 

30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch : and when 
they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle : 

31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consola- 
tion. 

32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted 
the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. 

33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go 
in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. 

34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still. 

35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and 
preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 

36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again 
and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word 
of the Lord, and see how they do. 

37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose sur- 
name was Mark. 

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who de- 
parted from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the 
work. 

39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they de- 
parted asunder one from the other : and so Barnabas took Mark, and 
sailed unto Cyprus ; 

40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by 
the brethren unto the grace of God. 

41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. 

James, the brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19), gave his opin- 
ion. It seems James had great influence in the church, for they 
acted upon his suggestion (Vs. 22). Tradition says that James 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



173 



was appointed bishop of the church at Jerusalem by Jesus him- 
self. He was not an apostle, and was probably the author, of 
the Epistle of James. He speaks of Peter by his other name, 
Simeon or Simon. He first of all tells the church that the purpose 
of the divine visitation was to take out a people from the Gentiles 
for his name. This explodes the theory that God intends to con- 
vert the whole world. The object of the Gospel is to take out a 
prepared people from the Gentiles as the bride of Christ and then 
to return to the salvation of the Jews. He puts the salvation of 
the Jews under the figure of ''building again the tabernacle of 
David." He declares this to be the teaching of the prophets and 
quotes Amos 9:11-12. This seems to teach that the kingdom 
of the Jews will be reestablished on earth, after the Gentile dis- 
pensation in which we now live, has come to an end. The literal 
translation of the word tabernacle here is ' ' hut. ' ' It refers to 
the fallen condition of the Jews; it was like a delapidated hut 
until they are restored. He says still farther, ''known unto God 
are all his works. ' ' In other words, this has been the plan of 
God from the beginning. The Gentiles saved and taken out of 
the mass of the Gentiles are to share the kingdom of God with the 
Jews. Therefore, he says: Let us not trouble the Gentiles and 
thus seek to interfere with the plans of God. Let us give them 
the advice to turn from the popular practices of their day and 
generation, such as idolatry, fornication and the eating of animals 
that are strangled. The latter practice was against the law of 
the Jews. To this day, the Jews maintain separate butcher shops 
in order to see that their meats are killed according to their law. 
This was according to the five books of Moses — Genesis, Exodus, 
Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which they heard read 
every Sabbath in the synagogue. In order to avoid discord, they 
were advised to go according to the Word they heard read each 
Sabbath. For at this time, the only Bible was the Old Testament, 
which was read for a long time in their public meetings. Unless 
they had some acknowledged standard and went by it, the Jewish 
and Gentile Christians would have dissensions. 

The church at Jerusalem sent Paul and Barnabas, Judas and 
Silas to Antioch to tell the church there that the church at Jeru- 
salem had not authorized these meddlers (Vs 1) to teach that 



174 



COMMENTARY ON 



Gentiles must be circumcised in order to be saved. They also 
sent a letter stating their opinion in the matter as voiced by St. 
James. After the letter was read, Judas and Silas exhorted, as 
they were "prophets themselves," 

Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioeh for some time, teach- 
ing and preaching. Paul after a time suggested to Barnabas that 
they visit the brethren with whom they had labored in their former 
missionary trip, to see how they were prospering. 

Barnabas proposed to take with them Mark, who had been 
with them a part of the time in the last missionary trip. Paul 
decidedly objected because Mark had deserted them in the former 
trip (Acts 13:13). Barnabas insisted and Paul insisted, and so 
in order to be harmonious, they separated. This shows that good 
men, separated to the work of the ministry by the Holy Ghost as 
these men were, might honestly differ. Unity does not mean a 
loss of individuality. We may differ with people and be obliged 
to take a stand against them and yet love them. We find Paul 
still loved Barnabas and Mark, although obliged to differ with 
them, for he later refers kindly to Barnabas in 1 Cor. 9:6, and 
sends greetings to Mark (See 2 Tim. 4:11). Let us learn the 
lesson that we may differ with people and yet really love them. 

So Paul and Barnabas ''agreed to disagree." God over 
ruled their disagreement to the good of the cause in the spread 
of the Gospel, for Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, his 
native country and no doubt helped spread Christianity there, 
and Paul took Silas to help him in his missionary work in Eu- 
rope. So instead of two, there were four workers in the field. 
Two by two seems to be the most effective method of spreading 
the Gospel. Jesus sent out his workers that way. One becomes 
a help to the other in such cases. A worker needs advice and 
counsel. 

It will be noticed in verse 40 that the church recommended 
Paul as he went forth. But it says nothing of the sort about 
Barnabas. It would seem by this that Paul was in the right in 
the controversy in the estimation of the church. 

Again it says they went ' ' confirming the churches ' ' — no doubt 
as we have shown (Acts 14:22), preaching the second work of 
grace. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



A SPIRIT FILLED AND LED MAN. 

The Preparation, Vs. 1-5. The Leading of the Holy Spirit. 
Vs. 6-12. The Result. Vs. 13-40. 

THE PREPARATION. Vs. 1-5. 

1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra : and, behold, a certain 
disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, 
which was a Jewess, and believed ; but his father teas a Greek : 

2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at 
Lystra and Iconium. 

3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him ; and took and 
circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters : 
for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 

4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the 
decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders 
which were at Jerusalem. 

5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and in- 
creased in number daily. 

The Apostle Paul had been fiUed with the Holy Ghost (Acts 
9:17), and henceforth was led by the Spirit. He was now in his 
second missionary journey. He started out from Antioch, as we 
see in chapter 15:41, through Syria and Cilieia, and came to 
Derbe and Lystra where he had been before (Chapter 14:6). 
Here he added Timothy to his company of traveling companions. 
We learn from this and other passages, who Timothy was. His 
father was a Greek and his mother, a Jewess. We learn from 
2 Tim. 1:5 that his grandmother's name was Lois. His mother, 
grandmother and himself were all Christians. He was a man of 
delicate health, for Paul wrote him in 1 Timothy 5:23 to ''use a 
little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." 
He was well versed in the scriptures from boyhood for Paul says 
''from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures." (2 Tim. 
3:15.) He was probably converted in Paul's first series of meet- 



175 



176 



COMMENTARY ON 



ings there. Paul resolved to take him as a traveling companion, 
but evidently, not unless he had carefully inquired as to his char- 
acter, for verse 2 says he was ' ' well reported of by the brethren. ' ' 
Paul had him circumcised. This has been a hard matter for some 
to reconcile with the actions of the church council in the previous 
(15th) chapter. But it need not be hard to understand if it is 
remembered that his mother was a Jewess, and his father was 
probably dead. To have taken an uncircumcised Jew with him 
in his travels would have hindered Paul's mission, for the Jews 
would have been angry when Paul preached, for him to take 
Timothy, an uncircumcised Jew, into their synagogues. Timothy 
was ordained as a preacher by the laying on of the hands of the 
eiders (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). 

So Paul, Silas and Timothy went throughout the churches that 
had been established by Paul and Barnabas in their former jour- 
ney (See Chapter 15:36). As they went they delivered the de- 
cree of the church, spoken of in Acts 15:23-29. This was the 
means of establishing the churches for it set their doubts and 
fears at rest on the subject of circumcision, which had troubled 
them. Because of this establishment of faith the church in- 
crea-sed in numbers daily. A peaceful Holy Ghost church means 
a prosperous church. 

THE LEADING BY THE HOLY SPIEIT. Vs. 6-12. 

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region 
of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word 
in Asia, 

7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia : 
but the Spirit suf^e^ed them not. 

8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night : There stood a man 
of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying. Come over into Macedonia, 
and help us. 

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured 
to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called 
us for' to preach the gospel unto them. 

11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course 
to Samothracia, and the next dap to Neapolis ; 

12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part 
of Macedonia, and a colony : and we were in that city abiding certain 
days. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



177 



In a few words (Vs. 6) here is given an account of the great 
work they carried on in the country of Phrygia ajid Galatia. It 
was the work of months no doubt. It is a sample of the unwritten 
history of the Bible. They now attempted to go into Bythinia, 
another country of Asia Minor, but were forbidden by the Holy 
Ghost. It does not tell how they were forbidden. It might have 
been by some special providence or by direct communication. 
Then they went to Mysia and tried to go into Bythinia and ''the 
Spirit suffered them not. ' ' No doubt they were perplexed, as one 
sometimes is, at the strange leadings of the Spirit, but it was all 
for the divine glory in having the Gospel carried into Europe, as 
they were now in Asia. God never makes mistakes. He leads just 
right, although we can not see it at the time. But everything 
will be cleared and made plain in due time. ''Paul was made to 
understand the mind of the Spirit, and — the only real point of 
rational interest — he obeyed it. And, to everyone cherishing this 
same obedient spirit, the mind of God will in some assured way 
be made known. Why their proposed movements were thus divinely 
hedged round on every side save the sea, is clearly intimated in 
the summons that so soon followed: to cross the sea, and enter 
Europe. So plainly it appeared that the Gospel 's first, marked 
entrance into Europe was definitely directed by the Lord. ' ' 

So they passed by Mysia and came down to Troas. Troas 
was a city on the sea coast, on or near the foundation of ancient 
Troy. Paul was on historic ground. It was here that AchiUes 
had performed his heroic deeds. It was here that Alexander, the 
world's conqueror, had landed to conquer Asia. But the conquest 
of Europe by Paul, the leader of the Army of the Cross, was a 
mightier enterprise, and this crossing of the sea by Paul was to 
result in greater achievements than those of the heroes of an- 
tiquity. The great result of Paul's invasion of Europe was 
mightier and further reaching. Paul himself could hardly have 
known how significant his advent into Europe was. 

He had thus far been led by the Spirit, he knew not why or 
how. But now he is directly informed of his mission and duty: 
God does not keep his workmen always in the dark. He lets them 
know at the right time his purposes. It inspires a subordinate to 
have some general notions of the campaign, Paul was a subor- 



178 



COMMENTARY ON 



dinate. His commander in the skies by a vision let him know that 
he was to go into the provinces of Europe. The churches at 
Thessalonica and Galatia were the result of his crossing over to 
Europe. And the church universal has the two epistles to the 
Corinthians, the two to the Thessalonians and that to the Gala- 
tians as the result. 

We are told this time, just how the Holy Spirit guided him. 
It was by a vision. A man of Macedonia appeared to him in a 
vision and said, ' ' Come over into Macedonia and help us. ' ' Such 
leadings and visions have been known to God's servants in modern 
times. How the prayer of the man of Macedonia must have 
touched the heart of the great apostle. ''The vision is still per- 
petuated. The cry of humanity in its sense of need — its guilt and 
wretchedness, its helpless, hopeless despair — is still sounding now 
from East to West, as then from West to East. It comes from 
every heathen continent, and from the many islands to the 
church of every region, and to the Christians of every name. " 
(Brown.) The cry is still ringing from heathen lands in the ears 
of the church and it is spiritual death to the church that does 
not heed it. Paul was sure that the import of the vision was 
that he should cross the sea to the mainland of Europe and preach 
there the gospel. We notice now a change in the manner of 
writing the narrative. Hitherto the account has been written in 
the third person. Now it is written in the second person. ''Im- 
mediately we endeavored to go. ' ' By this it is evident that Luke 
the writer had now joined them to be their traveling companion 
hereafter. The account of their adventures will hereafter be more 
vivid. Some think Luke, being a physician, joined them to look 
after Paul's health, that had become broken. 

So they embarked at Troas and went by a straight course to 
Neapolis, a distance of eighty miles, in two days. Neapolis was 
the sea-port of Philippi, from which it was ten miles distant. So 
the company now consisted of four men — Paul, Silas, Timothy and 
Luke. "And these four men go on board the vessel — Paul with 
his fervent zeal and his strong intellect; Silas with his zeal and 
his prophetic gifts; Luke with his scholarly culture and pro- 
fessional accomplishments; and Timothy with his youthful earnest- 
ness and as yet undeveloped powers for work. These four men 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



179 



guided by the Divine Spirit came to Europel And that ship has 
in it the seeds of all that is to be developed in the religion and 
learning, the philosophy, legislation, art, science, and everything 
else that has made European nations the acknowledged regal 
masters of the vv^orld. " (Binney.) 

On the plains of Philippi, Anthony and Augustas had fought 
one of the decisive battles of history, defeating Brutus and 
Caesar, and Augustus had left a colony there as a memorial of 
his victory. But Paul, the Jew, was to win a far greater victory, 
beginning with Philippi and extending over all Europe — setting 
up the standard of the cross. So they rested several days in the 
city before beginning their public labors. 

THE EESULT. Vs. 13-40. 

13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, 
where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat down, and spake unto 
the women which resorted tJiither. 

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the 
city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the 
Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken 
of Paul. 

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought 
us, saying. If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into 
my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. 

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel 
possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her mas- 
ters much gain by soothsaying : 

17 Tbe same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying. These men are 
the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of 
salvation. 

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned 
and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to 
come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was 
gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market- 
place unto the rulers. 

20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying. These men, be- 
ing Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 

21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, 
neither to observe, being Romans. 

22 And the multitude rose up together against them : and the 
magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 



180 



COMMENTARY ON 



23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast 
them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely : 

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the 
inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto 
God : and the prisoners heard them. 

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foun- 
dations of the prison were shaken : and immediately all the doors were 
opened and every one's bands were loosed. 

27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and 
seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have 
killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm : for 
we are all here. 

29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, 
and fell down before Paul and Silas, 

30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved ? 

31 And they said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt 
be saved, and thy house. 

3(2 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all 
that were in his house. 

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed 
their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat 
before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 

33 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the Serjeants, saying. 
Let those men go. 

36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The 
magistrates have sent to let you go : now therefore depart, and go in 
peace. 

37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly un- 
condemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison ; and now 
do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come them- 
selves and fetch us out. 

38 And the Serjeants told these words unto the magistrates : 
and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 

39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and 
desired them to depart out of the city. 

40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house 
of Lydia : and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, 
and departed. 

A few days after their arrival they went to a place outside 
the city by the river side where a prayer meeting was usually 
held. It seems by this that there were but few Jews in the city, 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 181 

for the Jews always had synagogues where tbey were able to sup- 
port them. Probably it was a female prayer meeting, for they 
sat down and talked with * ' the women who resorted thither. ' ' 
So we see the first gospel meetings in Europe were open air 
meetings. As we read this account there comes to our vision a 
quiet Sabbath morning, by a placid river; a company of women 
assembled, to pray. Some strangers appear and talk of salvation 
by faith. And this first meeting results in the first conversion to 
Christ in Europe. Paul like his Master could gladly preach to a 
small congregation. Many preachers will not attempt much unless 
the crowd is large. Jesus and Paul preached some of their best 
sermons to a small crowd — one or two individuals. 

The first convert in Europe was a woman. Her name was 
Lydia. She was a business woman, a seller of purple dye — a 
very popular color. Woman has the peculiar honor of being **last 
at the cross, first at the sepulchre of Jesus. ' ' Woman seems to 
take to the gospel more readily and naturally than man. No 
doubt as she had to spend so much time in the home with the 
cares of the household, she appreciates the nature of religion 
more than the average man. She sees its need in the training 
of the children. If she was first in the trangression, she is often 
first in seeing the value of religion for her children. In many 
places if it were not for the faithful women, the church of God 
would be compelled to close its doors. 

Lydia was a native of Thyatira, a city of Asia. She was a 
Gentile. The explanation of Gentiles meeting for a prayer meet- 
ing is, that she and the others were Jewish proselytes — converts 
from heathenism to Judaism. 

The Lord opened her heart. Like all human hearts by nature, 
her depraved heart had been closed to the truth of the Gospel. 
Only God can open the heart and He did it in this case. What 
we mean by total depravity is not that man has nothing good 
in him, but left to himself he never would open his heart to 
God and his truth. God awakens and convicts men. Paul might 
have preached his heart out, he could not have opened her heart. 
Let all preachers and teachers take courage in this fact that 
God opens men's hearts. The outward manifestations were dif- 
ferent in the ease of the jailor, but the conviction was the same. 



182 



COMMENTARY ON 



Notice God uses the word of a preacher, one of his instruments 
in opening men's hearts. We are not to be discouraged if our 
preaching is simple for the most eloquent preaching avails noth- 
ing if God does not open men's hearts. And no matter how 
much men may extol the preacher, and laud his preaching, it 
amounts to nothing if God does not by it open men's hearts. 
Better the childish prattle of the humblest child of God that 
God uses to open men's hearts, than the most polished and fin- 
ished oratory of the most eloquent pulpit that falls lifeless on 
the souls of men. 

The conversion of this woman resulted in the conversion of 
her household who were baptized. She throws open her house 
for the entertainment of the servants of God. Here is the first 
example of Christian hospitality of which we have any record. 
The first example of the most wonderful display of kindness 
that the world knows anything about. There is no thing like 
Christian hospitality in all the heathen world. It is the com- 
munion of saints. Millions since that time have refreshed both 
soul and body under the shade of the tree of Christian hospi- 
tality, ''Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. 
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. ' ' 

She used an argument in her invitation that Paul could not 
gainsay or answer in the negative. She was a Gentile and Jews 
had had no social intercourse with such. She said to Paul, if 
you really believe I am truly converted, let your company come 
and stay at my house. Not to have accepted the invitation would 
imply a lack of confidence in her religion. They who have re- 
ceived spiritual blessing from the servants of God often feel 
very properly a desire to impart temporal blessing to the mes- 
senger. Paul said to the Corinthians, "If we have sown unto you 
spiritual things is it a great thing that we shall reap your 
carnal things'?" 

There never was a genuine work of God long unopposed by 
the devil. The first convert in Europe was a woman, and now 
the devil fills another woman, to be used as an instrumentality 
against the revival begun under the labors of Paul. It was a 
young woman of an entirely different type of character from 
Lydia. She was possessed by the spirit of divination or Python. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



183 



The lieatlien god, Apollo, was sometimes called Python. Those 
who professed to have a spirit of divination were thought to have 
the spirit of Python. All modern fortune telling, spiritism, etc., 
is more or less of the devil, who possessed this woman. She 
cried after Paul, much as the devils did after Jesus when they 
confessed his deity; probably for the same reason, that it might 
appear that he was in sympathy and fellowship with her. 

Pau] was more than "grieved" at this daily exhibition and 
bore it as long as he thought right and then ''in the name of 
Jesus Christ" commanded the evil spirit to come out of her; and 
he came out immediately. Alford says in the Greek word trans- 
lated grieved, ''Not mere annoyance is expressed by this word, 
but rather holy indignation and sorrow at what he saw and 
heard; the Christian soldier was goaded to the attack, but the 
mere satisfaction of anger was not the object any more than 
the result of the stroke. ' ' 

No iniquitous business can flourish long in the neighborhood 
of the real gospel without being rebuked, whether it be fortune 
telling, the saloon business, black or white slavery or dishonesty, 
of any kind. And this gospel upset the business of certain men 
who immediately resisted it by seizing Paul and Silas. Luke 
and Timothy probably were not found, as Paul and Silas were 
attacked by the mob, and were consequently not seized. 

The master of the damsel brought Paul and Silas before 
the magistrate and tried to stir up a race-riot, accusing them 
as Jews of teacliing customs unlawful for Romans to practice. 
They could not have been successful in Athens in making such 
charges, for Athens was a philosophical and not superstitious 
like Philippi. 

So the mob listened to these charges and were excited against 
them and the magistrate caused their clothes to be torn from them 
and commanded that they should be beaten. Paul says in 2 Cor. 
11:25, ''Thrice was I beaten with rods." This was one of the 
three times. Later Paul describes it as a shameful occurrence 
thus, "But even after we had suffered before, and were shame- 
fully entreated, as ye know at Philippi. ' ' This shows how keenly 
he felt the treatment. Salvation is not chloroform that will 
stupefy us, so that we will not feel insults and abuse, but it will 



184 



COMMENTARY ON 



save us from a spirit of revenge, as we see in Paul's experience 
in pointing the way of salvation to the penitent jailor. 

So they delivered the unfortunate prisoners to the jailor, 
''charging him to keep them safely. Unjustly condemned and 
without a trial, their backs lacerated with the cruel whipping, 
they were cast into prison and their feet made fast in the stocks, 
they were compelled to sit in this painful posture or lie on their 
bruised and bleeding backs in the inner prison, surrounded by 
the filth and vermin customary in prisons of that day. They were 
put in the stocks as if they were unusually bad criminals. 

All through the afternoon and until midnight they were in 
this painful posture. But it is impossible to put a Spirit-filled 
man in any position or circumstances where he can not get into 
communication with the headquarters of his King. And he will 
do it too. 

They did not forget God or murmur at his providences. Some 
people forsake God because they have a hard time. But Paul 
and Silas did not omit their evening devotions, but carried them 
on late into the night. ''It is a significant fact that the most 
joyous of Paul's epistles is that written to the church at Phil- 
ippi ; bom out of his experience of suffering. ' ' Tertullian says, 
"Their legs in the stocks pained them not whose souls were 
in heaven. ' ' 

They praised God as weU as prayed. They might have sung 
that Psalm, "I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined 
unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an 
horrible pit." (Psalm 40:1-2.) It takes real salvation to make 
a man praise God under such circumstances. Any one can praise 
God when things go to suit him. It takes salvation to praise 
God when things do not go to suit us. 

The way we bear our trials is the evidence to the world that 
we have real salvation — something the world can not give. Notice 
it says that their fellow prisoners heard them. Genuine praise 
of God always convicts the unsaved. A real shout from the heart 
is one of the great convicting agencies that God has given his 
church. It puzzles as well as convicts the ungodly. 

But Paul and Silas not merely got blessed but God granted 
a direct answer to their praying. He set them free in a most 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



185 



remarkable maimer. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, 
tiiat shook the very foundation of the prison, the doors flew 
open, the stocks were unloosed and the chains fell off the pris- 
oners. One of the decisive battles of history had been fought 
in that vicinity. The ground had shaken under the tread of mighty 
armies. But no such power had ever been manifest as the power 
of this eaxtiquake that had been prayed down. They ''prayed 
through. ■ ' Half hearted people would have quit praying. 

Some people do not believe God answers prayer or caused 
this earthquake. Who dares say he did not? No one has ever 
yet told us the cause of earthquakes in general. So they should 
be very modest in saying that God did not cause this one. 

The jailer was waked from his sleep, by the earthquake, and^ 
drew his sword to commit suicide for he thought his prisoners 
were escaped and he knew the severe punishment he must expect. 

Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do thyself no harm." That 
is the message of the Gospel to sinful men, ' ' Do thyself no 
harm." The sinner is constantly doing himself harm in a thou- 
sand ways. Sin is self destructive. The sinner is his own worst 
enemy. The jailer attempted to commit suicide. The sinner 
is committing soul suicide. In a thousand ways we see this about 
us every day. ''Do thyself no harm." They surely will do them- 
selves harm when, they continue to serve Satan or allow sin to 
remain in the soul. 

Paul did not stop to argue with the jailer on the sinfulness- 
of suicide. But he showed him there was no occasion for it, as 
the prisoners were all there. There never was a good reason for 
suicide. Men who commit suicide are either diseased in mind or \ 
have lost their faith in God. ! 

The trembling jailer called for a light, brought them out and I 
said, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?" He asked this ques- / 
tion, not because of the earthquake, for it was past; not from/ 
fear of losing his prisoners, for they had not escaped. He had/ 
come very near the invisible world. He knew there was a con^ 
neetion between their prayers and the earthquake. When man 
gets as near the presence of God as he had come he feels that 
he is a sinner. He uttered the cry of the ages; the cry that 
the conscience of guilty men since the days of Cain have been 



186 



COMMENTARY ON 



uttering. To answer this question, men have invented all sorts 
of religions; built costly temples; offered bloody sacrifices; given 
the fruit of their bodies to be burned; and tortured their bodies. 
It is still the cry of guilt, urged on by an accusing conscience. 

Paul replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
shalt be saved." Here we have the question of the ages an- 
swered in a sentence. It is just as applicable to our time and 
men's needs as then. The world can never by any evolution of 
doctrine or new theology or religion get any other cure for sin — 
no other way of salvation. 

It is because they cast out a devil in the name of Jesus Christ 
that they had to go to prison. It was very fitting that they 
should assert the majesty of that name and reinstate it by telling 
the jailer that he could be saved through that name. It was 
flinging the challenge in the face of the devil himself. 

We see here the difference in the manisfestations of the 
Spirit. Some people have been stumbled because their conversion 
was not like that of other people, in its manifestations. The 
question is not, what the manifestations are but, have we truly 
repented, and have we the witness of the Spirit to the fact that 
we are the children of God. The conversions of Lydia and the 
jailer were entirely different in their manifestations, but the same 
in the work done in their souls. Some one says, ' ' The Lord opened 
the heart of Lydia with an oiled key, but it took an earthquake 
to open the heart of the jailer. ' ' It was the same work of opening 
the heart in both cases. Lydia was one of these gentle charac- 
ters which opened spontaneously to the gospel as a pure rose-bud 
opens to the sun. The jailer was an entirely different character. 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is still a fact, 
and still is the condition of salvation. There are several beliefs 
that are mistaken for this. 1. Some people think believing Jesus 
sufficient. A person might believe everything a doctor said with- 
out being cured. We may believe every word Jesus every uttered 
and not be saved. 2. Believing in Jesus is some times mistaken 
for believing on Jesus. We may believe in a doctor and yet not 
be cured. We must take his medicine or he cannot cure us, no 
matter how much we may believe in his medical skill. Believing 
in Jesus as the divine and the Saviour of the world will not bring 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



187 



salvation. To believe on a doctor is to put our case in his hands, 
obey his orders and take his medicine. Believing on Jesus is to 
put our case in his hands, obey his order and hang our hopes 
of salvation on his atoning sacrifice. If we do this we will surely 
forsake our sins and trust him for salvation. 

It was belief on a person — not belief in a creed in the articles 
of faith of some church. How difficult it is to make some people 
see this. He said, ''Sirs or Lord, what must I do to be saved?" 
They replied, ''Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is the 
exact translation. They wished him to understand they were 
not lords but that Jesus was the Lord on which they were to 
believe. They not only told him that he could believe and be 
saved, but his family also could believe and be saved. His be- 
lieving would not save his family, but they must believe for 
themselves. 

From this beginning they went on to indoctrinate him into 
the truths of the gospel in a discourse. Washed from his sins, 
he washed their stripes and was baptized that night. Some 
people do not believe in sudden conversions. But here was one. 
This was the conversion not of a proselyte like Lydia, but of a 
raw heathen, and a brutal man at that probably, as jailers were 
usually of that class. The salvation that saved this extreme case 
will save any one. A remedy that will cure a bad case of disease 
will cure lighter cases. If we do as the jailer did, we will be 
saved. We see here that salvation is a simpler matter to obtain 
than some churches or preachers imagine. 

The jailer brought them into the house and got a good supper 
for them. The night began in distress, but ended in a feast. 
So wonderfully can the Lord bring things to pass. 

Notice how Luke brings out the divinity of Jesus. Paul told 
the jailer to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and Luke, the 
writer caUs it, "Believing in God." Jesus is God. 

The magistrate thought they had punished Paul and Silas 
enough. So as soon as it was day they sent their under ofi&cers 
to tell the jailer to let them go. We think too the earthquake 
had frightened the magistrates. But Paul stood against the 
injustice that had been done him, not so much to stand up for 
his rights for his own sake as for the church be was to leave 



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there. It would give the church a bad reputation to have its 
founders treated as criminals. On the other hand it would help 
the church if it were known that the magistrates had treated 
them unjustly as Eoman citizens. The Eoman law was very 
particular in defending Roman citizens from indignities, such as 
whipping. The magistrates themselves were liable to be pun- 
ished with death for whipping a Roman citi^ien. Paul now had 
the advantage of the magistrates. So the apostles, since the 
magistrates themselves came and courteously besought them to 
leave the city, went to the church and exhorted them and com- 
forted them and departed. Some think that Luke the writer 
remained awhile as he says ''they" comforted the church and 
then ' ' departed. ' ' Paul seems to have been peculiarly attached 
to this church (See Phil. 1:3-5), doubtless because of their 
sympathy which he received in this persecution. ' ' Of all the 
churches which Paul founded, the Philippians seem to have been 
the most free from fault, and the most attached to himself. In 
the epistle which he wrote to them, we find no censure and much 
praise; and so zealous was their love for Paul, that they alone 
(of all the churches which he had founded), forced him from the 
very beginning to accept their contributions for his support. We 
might suppose from this that they were a wealthy church; yet 
Paul tells us that 'in the heavy trial which had proved their 
steadfastness, the fullness of their joy had overflowed out of 
the depths of their poverty, in the richness of their liberality. ' ' ' 
(Conybeare.) 



CHAPTER XVII. 
PERSECUTION ADVANCES THE CAUSE. 

The Persecution at Thessalonica. Vs. 1-7. The Persecution at 
Berea. Vs. 8-15. The Sermon at Athens. Vs. 16-34. 

One of the things that God has used to advance his cause 
is the persecution of its enemies. Just as a general in war 
takes the guns of his adversary and turns them upon him, so 
has God done in turning the very persecution of Satan against 
his kingdom. In this he makes the wrath of man praise him. 
The persecution that broke out against the Pentecostal church 
at Jerusalem, was the means of scattering the church who would 
have otherwise remained at Jerusalem and so they carried the 
holy fire wherever they went and set new fises everywhere. So 
was it previously true in the experience of Paul. The persecution 
at Iconium was so great that he went to Derbe and Lystra and 
started churches there. The persecution at Philippi drove him 
to Thessalonica where he started a church. The persecution 
there drove him to Berea, Athens and Corinth and Ephesus; and 
everywhere he preached the gospel and had fruit. This chapter 
is a record of how persecution helped Paul in spreading the truth. 

THE PERSECUTION AT THESSALONICA. Vs. 1-7. 

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apol- 
lonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews : 

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three 
sabhath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 

3 Opening and alleginig, that Christ must needs have suffered, 
and risen again from the dead ; and that this Jesus, whom I preach 
unto you, is Christ. 

4 And some of them believed, aod consorted with Paul and Silas ; 
and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women 
not a few. 

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto 



189 



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them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a com- 
pany, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of 
Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain 
brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned 
the world upside down are come hither also ; 

7 Whom Jason hath received : and these all do contrary to the de-' 
crees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 

It was very hard for even Paul, a Spirit-filled man, to get 
over his notion that he was to preach to the Jews only. He began 
to preach in the synagogue of the Jews in Thessaloniea and had 
some converts, but the unbelieving Jews incited a riot which 
compelled him to leave the city, and finally resulted in his preach- 
ing the gospel to the Gentiles at Thessaloniea, Athens and Ephesus. 

The charge which his enemies made is worthy of notice. The 
unbelieving Jews stirred up the mob, who went to the house of 
Jason where Paul was stopping. When they could not find Paul 
and Silas they seized the brethren who were in the house and 
brought them before the ruler of the city and made this charge 
that they had * ' turned the world upside down. ' ' This was a com- 
pliment to the power of the gospel, started by the preaching of 
a few fishermen. It was the truth because the world is wrong 
side up and needs the gospel to set it right. Wherever true 
Christianity goes it moves things. But the last part of the 
charge was false. It was the same charge made against Jesus, 
that he was an enemy of the Roman government. They had 
preached of Jesus as Messiah, and these enemies had distorted 
the truth. Just as the enemies of Christ distorted his assertion 
of being a king and made it appear that he sought to reign as a 
temporal king. Paul certainly proved the truth of his own state- 
ment, ''All they that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
persecution. ' ' 

THE PERSECUTION AT BEREA. Vs. 8-15. 

8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when 
they heard these things. 

9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, 
they let them go. 

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



191 



night unto Berea : who coming thither went into the synagogue of 
the Jews. 

11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that 
they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the 
scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 

12 Therefore many of them believed ; also of honourable women 
which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 

13 But. when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the 
word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, 
and stirred up the people. 

14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it 
were to the sea : but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 

15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens : and 
receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to 
him with all speed, they departed. 

So the brethren got Paul and Silas away by night for fear 
of the mob, to Berea, a city about fifty mUes southwest from 
Thessalonica. Coming hither Paul went straight to the Jewish 
synagogue. These Jews were more noble than those at Thessa- 
lonica, because they did not go by their prejudices but searched 
the Scriptures to see if the Messiahship of Jesus could be proved 
by the Word of God. Notice more particularly in what their 
nobility consisted. 1. They received the word with all readiness 
of mind. It was a new doctrine to them that the Messiah had 
come in the person of Jesus Christ, but they did not yield to 
prejudice. 2. They searched the Scriptures. 3. They searched 
the Scriptures every day. No wonder that many of them believed. 
All God asks of honest people is to search the Scripture for them- 
selves. He does not ask people to blindly receive the truth. The 
evidences of Christianity are so sure and convincing that no honest 
man can fail to believe if he examines them. How few even in 
this day are able to be willing to receive the truth without being 
hindered by previous conceptions caused by their early training 
or the passions of an evil heart. 

But their enemies of Thessalonica could not let them alone. 
Although it was fifty miles away when they heard of the work 
of Paul, they came and stirred up the people against Paul and 
Silas. This shows the vindictive, hateful nature of the human 
heart manifest in religious sectarian hate — the bitterest kind of 
hate in the world. These missionaries of the devil (he has such) 



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were the means of driving Paul out of Berea. But Timothy and 
Silas remained. Those who conducted Paul intended to take him 
to sea, but instead brought him to Athens. No doubt the hand 
of the Lord was in this, as it had been in sending him into 
Europe in the first place. God had planned to have him evan- 
gelize in all the great centers of population of heathenism. 

THE SERMON AT ATHENS. Vs. 16-34. 

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was 
stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue wth the Jews, and with 
the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with 
him. 

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, 
encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other 
some. He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods : because he 
preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, say- 
ing. May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears : we 
would know therefore what these things mean. 

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent 
their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new 
thing.) 

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men 
of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an 
altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom there- 
fore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that 
he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with 
hands ; 

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed 
anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things ; 

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on 
all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before ap- 
pointed, and the bounds of their habitation ; 

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after 
him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us : 

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being ; as certain 
also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to 
think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by 
art and man's device. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



193 



30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; but now 
commandeth all men every where to repent : 

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the 
world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; ^ohereof 
he hath given assurance unto all men, iix that he hath raised him from 
the dead. 

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some 
mocked : and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 

33 So Paul departed from among them. 

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed : among the 
which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, 
and others with them. 

We now come to one of the most sublim-e events in the history 
of the world — the arrival of Paul at Athens, the seat of the 
highest type of learning and philosophy in the heathen world. 
Athens was the capital of Greece and the product of the best 
that the mind of man can accomplish unaided by divine grace, 
in religion, philosophy, science, art and learning and culture. 
Athens as a cultured city was the best man could do without 
revealed religion. Here Paul, the advance guard of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ, attacked systems of religion and thought which were 
the culmination of the best minds of the age. Little did those, 
who bade him welcome and invited him to speak that, day, think 
that the gospel of the despised Nazarene whom he represented 
that day was to triumph until those beautiful temples were to 
lay in ruins and their idols were to fall and be broken before the 
triumphant advent of the cross of Jesus. Paul seemed to have 
accomplished little that day, but it was the beginning of great 
blessings for Europe. ''To understand aright, either the signifi- 
cance of Paul's course at Athens, the meaning of the incidental 
allusions to his surroundings, or the full force of his marvellous 
address, it is necessary that the reader should have a measurably 
correct apprehension of both the external aspects of the city and 
the character of the people. Athens, the pre-eminent ancient city 
in civilization, arts and arms — distinguished for philosophy and 
learning — famous for its architecture and statuary, and the mother 
of the most celebrated warriors, poets, statesmen, and philosophers 
— was situated in the plain of Attica, the city proper being about 
three miles from the sea, although as described by Lewis and 
Smith, it consisted of two circular wall-enclosed cities, united by 



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another long and narrow portion, also wall-enclosed. One of the 
circular portions included the sea ports, Pireus and Phalerum, the 
other the inland settlement: the connecting fortification known 
as the 'Long Walls,' being a populous street, making a third 
city, whose inhabitants were shut out from all view of the country 
by the vast wall on either side. It needs no graphic words to 
picture the misery of a people thus imprisoned, when to their 
ordinary suffocating, crowding was added the horror of the plague 
or the terrors of a siege." (Abbott.) 

The world by its wisdom had not found God or true religion. 
The philosophy of the age was decaying. The human intelligence 
has never been more subtle and keen; art has never since risen 
to a loftier height, but in spite of all these human attainments, 
the morality of the people, both public and private, had become 
corrupt. Never since the flood had man become so wicked as in 
those days. The world had become a cess-pool of human cor- 
ruption into which the gospel like the salt in Elisha's spring was 
flung to purify and sweeten. It is very important then that we 
study the scene and see how Paul preached in this home of ancient 
philosophy, and to some of the philosophers themselves. 

Paul's soul was stirred within him as he saw the city filled 
with idols. The literal meaning is his soul was sharpened or 
whetted. He felt an indignation burn within him to see human 
beings given to the worship of idols. So he alone, single-handed 
like little David attacked the whole system. The classic writers 
(such as Petrovius, Pausania, Zenophon, Socrates and others) 
speak of the great numbers of idols in Athens. He did not get 
out some circular and hire a hall but went into the market places 
and began to deliver his message wherever he could find hearers; 
wherever he could find some one to listen. Some preachers think 
to be called to preach means to stand behind a pulpit only, but 
to do nothing in private preaching. 

Paul in his personal work encountered mostly Jews and ''de- 
vout persons ' ' — J ewish proselytes, in the market place, ' until 
finally he encountered "certain philosophers" of the Epicurean 
and Stoic schools of philosophy. These were the principal schools 
of philosophy. Although there were several minor schools. The 
Stoics were much like the modern Pantheists, who believe that 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



195 



God is in everything, and everything is God. The Epicurean were 
about the same as modern Materialists. ''They held that pleasure 
is the only good and pain the only evil; virtue is no good to be 
sought for itself, vice is no evil to be for itself avoided; the one 
is to be sought for the happiness it produces, the other avoided 
for the suffering it entails. ' ' These two great errors are virtu- 
ally the same in the world today and it is therefore very inter- 
esting to know how Paul preached to such people. We do not 
believe modern preachers can find any better doctrine than Paul 
preached. Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection to these 
Gentiles. Many modern missionaries would have started a college 
or high school to get them ready for the gospel. But Paul 
preached the gospel. 

There were two views that these philosophers took of Paul. 
One class called him a babbler — literally a seed-picker — one who 
retails small talk or gossip. Others said he was a setter forth of 
strange gods — a serious charge because it was forbidden by law 
to introduce new religions. Socrates met death four hundred 
years before for that very thing. 

So they took him up to Areopagus or Hill of Mars. This 
hill was the seat of a council called by the same name, which 
was a kind of civil court, and ruled the city, both in civil and 
religious matters. Their action denotes curiosity rather than any 
accusation. They were a people always given to speculation, and 
new theories always delighted them. One of our commentators 
thinks Luke is sarcastic here, and says Verse 21 may be rendered, 
"have time for nothing else but either to hear or to tell the 
latest news." The descendants of the Athenians are still 
among us. 

So Paul stood up in the midst of Mars Hill and began his 
discourse by telling them that he perceived they were more 
religious or reverential than others (the word superstitious is an 
incorrect translation. The American Eevised Version renders it 
**very religious"). There are millions of people in the world 
who are too religious because they have a false religion that hin- 
ders their seeking the true religion. However, his opening sen- 
tence was calculated evidently as a compliment and at once put 
them in touch with him to a certain extent. 



196 



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He explains what he meant. He had seen in passing about 
through their city an altar dedicated "to an unTcnoim God." 
(Revised Version.) ''The origin of these altars (there were sev- 
eral of them, so historians say) is accounted for in different ways. 
There is a legend that in the time of a plague, it being uncertain 
which god was offended, a number of sheep were let loose, and 
wherever one lay down an altar was erected to the unknown, 
offended god. Some suppose that these altars were originally 
dedicated to some particular god, but the name having been lost, 
the place was thus sacredly kept. Others still imagine — for there 
seems to be no basis for the opinion — that Jehovah was really 
intended, and that it was an attempt on the part of the Athen- 
ians to conciliate the Jews. The real, underlying reason appears 
to be a sense in the more cultivated Greeks, that all attempts to 
'find God' through statues, and altars, and temples, were, after 
all, in vain and that he was still unknown; of this the writings 
of the best classic authors afford abundant illustration." (Ab- 
bott.) Paul takes this inscription as his starting point to preach 
the gospel. Happy is the preacher or personal worker who knows 
how to seize upon some present incident or everyday fact or 
occurrence as a starting point to preach the word of life. See 
how Paul builds his message on this foundation. He tells them 
that not knowingly they have been worshipping the unknown God. 
The accurate meaning is not "ignorantly" but "not knowing." 

He now in a single sentence asserts the work of creation to 
Jehovah. The Epicureans had been teaching that there is no God 
and all things came by chance. The Stoics had been teaching 
that all things were God and God was all things. The mythology 
of Greece and Rome taught that there were many gods who ruled 
parts of the universe. Paul sets forth the fundamental doctrine 
of the Christian religion in contrast to aU these systems. It was 
a startling doctrine to preach right in the midst of heathenism. 
Paul does not begin as with the Jews on the foundation of the 
Old Testament Scripture, but on the foundation of God as the 
Creator. "Only on the Old Testament foundation of creation 
can we rightly build the New Testament doctrine of Redemption; 
and only he who scripturally believes and apprehends by faith the 
earliest words of Revelation concerning the Creator of all things, 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



197 



can also apprehend, know, and Scripturally worship the man, in 
whom God's word down to the latest canonical revelation, gathers 
all things. ' ' ( Stier. ) Paul says the same thing that Stephen 
told the Sanhedrim (Acts 7:48) that God does not dwell in tem- 
ples made with hands. Doubtless Paul remembered the dying 
Stephen's sermon, for he heard it. 

The next step in his address is the statement that God is not 
served by human hands. The translation ''worshipped" should 
be served. The heathen thought their gods had to be nourished 
by food, as they today bring costly food and drink to their tem- 
ples for their gods. But Jehovah needs nothing, for everything 
comes from him, even our lives. So that he does not need our 
service. 

He now advances a step further and states the universal 
brotherhood of men. God "hath made of one blood all men for 
to dwell on the face of the earth." This was a truth exceedingly 
distasteful to the Athenians for they prided themselves on being 
of better origin than people in general. This also hits at poly- 
theism that teaches that every nation has a god of its own. 

The next step is to show them that all their blessing came 
from God. ' ' Hath determined the times before appointed. ' ' Had 
to determine the changes of the seasons, and their limits ; ' ' The 
apostle by adding this, admonishes the Athenians that they, like 
every other people, had not only received their peculiar advan- 
tages from the common Creator, but that they could hold them 
only during the continuance of his good will and favor. In as- 
signing to nations their respective abodes, he had fixed both the 
seasons and their prosperity and the limits of their territory, i. e., 
it was he, who decided when, and Jiow long, they should flourish, 
and how far their dominion should extend. We have the same 
idea in Job 12:23." (Hackett.) Let all nations keep humble. 
God decides when they shall flourish. Let us of this land as a 
nation not be too self -conceited. We only prosper as God permits. 

God does all this in his providence to bring them to a knowl- 
edge of him. "If haply they might feel after him." The whole 
heathen world are like a blind man groping around to find some- 
thing he knows not what. They feel an undefined need. It is 
the soul quest after God. They try in vain to satisfy their starv- 



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ing souls by bowing down to idols of their own creation. God is 
very near them, but sin separates them from him. 

Paul now quotes from a heathen writer to substantiate his 
assertions. (This shows that Paul was well read in the literature 
of the day.) He quotes a poet by the name of Aratus thus, ''We 
are his offspring. ' ' If Paul had been talking to Jews, he would 
have quoted from the Old Testament, which they considered au- 
thority; but as he was talking to Gentiles he quotes one of their 
own poets; whom they considered authority. 

See how he leads them on the doctrine of the incarnation of 
Christ without mentioning it. He says, ''We ought not to think 
the Godhead is like unto gold, silver or stone engraven by man's 
device. ' ' Why ? Because we are his offspring. If we, his off- 
spring, are not gold, silver or stone, certainly he, our Father, can 
not be such, nor do idols represent him. For he is like us. And 
if there be a representative of God on earth he would be like us. 
So Jesus came not as an idol but as a man. 

Then he encourages them by telling them that God overlooks 
the ignorance that caused this in the past, but now through the 
gospel of Jesus, which was to spread through all the world, he 
commands all men to repent. The reason why all men should 
hasten to obey the command to repent is because the day of 
judgment has been appointed, which all, both Jews and Gentiles, 
must meet. Notice God commands all men to repent. It is a 
duty then which all can perform. Some people say there is a 
continuous judgment going on every day. But Paul says there is 
to be a specific, definite day set apart for judgment. This does 
not at all harmonize with the doctrine of a second probation, or a 
getting gradually better in eternity. 

He also states that the judgment will be pronounced "by that 
man whom he hath ordained." Abbott says, "Observe that Paul 
refers here to Jesus as that man, saying nothing of his divine 
nature, his incarnation, his kingdom, because he would then be 
liable to misapprehension, and might be thought to be adding to 
the deities of Athens another deified Jewish hero. But in Thessa- 
lonica he speaks of Christ's kingdom and second coming (verse 7) 
and in Corinth his incarnation (1 Cor. 1:22-24). He adapts his 
preaching to the needs of his auditors. The word that is not in 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



199 



the original: the definite article is wanting; but it is implied by 
the construction. ' ' 

So Paul preached and a few believed. The rest turned scorn- 
fully away. The pride of education and culture asserted itself 
when they heard of the resurrection. It was a doctrine which 
they considered absurd and so they would hear no more. There 
were, however, two notable converts — Dionysius, the Areopagite. 
He belonged to the court of the Areopagites. He was one of the 
leaders therefore of the city. Eusebius says he became a bishop 
in the Christian church. There was also a notable woman by the 
name of Damaris, and a few others. Paul could leave no church 
behind him as in other cities. There is nothing so hard to break 
through as the shell of intellectual pride in which ungodly schol- 
ars encase themselves. As Paul says in another place ' ' Knowledge 
puffeth up. ' ' Jesus said in the parable of the sower that there 
were several classes that hear the gospel. There were several 
here. "Paul rightly divided the Word of Truth that day, and 
the Word divided the hearers into distinct and well-defined groups : 
into mockers, hesitators, and cleaving believers. The mocTcers, 
whether socially higher or lower, were in spirit the hardest of the 
company. They were fast and free livers. They enjoyed life, 
and kept the thought of death away. They went away laughing 
at the truth of God and the God of truth. The hesitators, con- 
vinced in their consciences that the testimony of the apostle had 
all the air of truth, did not dare to scoff — but, wedded to their 
own ease and pleasure, they were not willing to take up the cross 
and follow Christ. Accordingly they made a respectful apology 
to the preacher and went away. The third class cleaved to him 
and believed: that is, while this man's lips were the channel 
through which the Word of Life reached them, the intimate long- 
ing of their hearts — their ultimate grasp — reached and rested on 
Christ crucified, whom Paul preached. They cleaved to Paul, but 
they believed in Christ." (Arnot.) 



\ 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
EPISODES IN THE WORK. 

The Conclusion of Paul's Second Missionary Tour. Vs. 1-22. 
Paul's Thirfl Missionary Tour Begun. Vs. 23. A Lay 
Preacher. Vs. 24-28. 

THE CONCLUSION OF PAUL'S SECOND MISSIONAEY 
TOUE. Vs. 1-22. 

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to 
Corinth ; 

2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately 
come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla ; (because that Claudius had 
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. 

3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and 
wrought : for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded 
the Jews and the Greeks. 

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, 
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus 
was Christ. 

6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook 
M8 raiment, and said unto them. Your blood 5e upon your own heads ; 
I am clean : from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 

7 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, 
named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the 
synagogue. 

8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the 
Lord with all his house ; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, 
and were baptized. 

9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not 
afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : 

10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee : 
for I have much people in this city. 

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the 
word of God among them. 

12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made in- 
surrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the 
judgment seat. 



301 



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COMMENTAEY ON 



13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary 
to the law. 

14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said 
unto the Jews. If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye 
Jews, reason would that I should bear with you : 

15 But if it be a question of words and names, ard of your law, 
look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. 

16 And he drave them from the judgment seat. 

17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the syn- 
agogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for 
none of those things. 

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then 
took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with 
him Priscilla and Aquila ; having shorn his head in Cenchrea : for he 
had a vow. 

19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there : but he himself 
entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 

20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he 
consented not ; 

21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this 
feast that cometh in Jerusalem : but I will return again unto you, if 
God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. 

22 And when he had landed at Csesarea, and gone up, and saluted 
the church, he went down to Antioch. 

Rejected by nearly all his hearers, leaving only a few be- 
lievers, Paul turned from the cultured city of Athens to the 
luxurious and exceedingly licentious Corinth, a city where he re- 
mained a long time and saw much fruit from his labors. Here 
he first begun to write his wonderful epistles that have influenced 
the world more than any other religious writings ever penned. 
He had time here to write his two epistles to the Thessalonians 
and the epistle to the Eomans. Corinth was a great commercial 
center on account of its location. And wherever in that age and 
every age since there is a good field for trafl&c the Jew will be 
found there. A large colony of Jews lived here. And Paul whose 
heart's desire and constant prayer for Israel was that they might 
be saved (Eom. 10:1) was especially drawn to these Jews that 
he might preach Christ to them. 

The emperor Claudius had driven all Jews from Eome. Jews 
have been persecuted in all ages of the world. This was especially 
true in Paul's time. But there were some blessings that the 
persecution Mrrought. One of them was the fellowship and sym- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



203 



pathy of Aqnila and Priseilla, with Paul. The great apostle of 
the Gentiles needed human companionship at this time, as Tim- 
othy and Silas were not with him. So these banished Jews became 
his companions as he was of the same trade. They worked 
together. 

Every Jewish parent taught his boy a trade. Paul learn-ed 
to make tents. That is he wove the coarse cloth used for that 
purpose. The great apostle at work with his hands teaches men 
some very practical lessons. It shows the self-denial that a holy 
man is willing to put forth, to help on the cause of God. Paul 
need not have worked if he had not embraced Christianity. More 
than that he need not have worked as it was, for he lays down 
the principle in his letter to the Corinthians thus: ''Have we 
not power to eat and drink? us only and Barnabas, have we not 
power to forbear working?" (1 Cor. 9:4, 6.) He says to Tim- 
othy, ' ' The laborer is worthy of his hire. ' ' Paul was willing to 
sacrifice his own rights in order not to hinder the gospel. The 
sharp-eyed Greeks all about him would lay it up against him as 
seeking to get rich or being just after money and worldly gain, 
if he took any money for his services. So he denied himself for 
example's sake. It must have been real self-denial for a man 
whose heart was engaged in preaching the gospel to be confined 
to the work-shop. 

We see also the dignity of labor. Some think it is degrading. 
But Jesus, the carpenter, and Paul, the tent maker, worked with 
their hands and forever dignified manual labor. 

We notice again that God will not work a miracle where the 
same end can be otherwise accomplished. God might have fed 
Paul by a miracle. But he works no miracles unless all other 
resources have failed. 

We see the advantages of young men being taught a trade, in 
Paul's experience. He had something to fall back on and in this 
instance it secured to him valuable helpers in the person of Aquila 
and PrisciUa. ''The trade which St. Paul's father had taught 
him in his youth was thus the means of procuring him invaluable 
associates in the noblest work in which man was ever engaged. 
No higher example can be found of the possibility of combining 
diligent labor in the common things in life with the utmost spirit- 
uality of mind." 



204 



COMMENTARY ON 



So Paul worked six days in the week in tent making. (Tent 
making is a great industry in the East even to this day.) On the 
Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, with the Jews and Greek 
proselytes and persuaded many that Jesus was the Christ. 

Silas and Timothy now came to help him. They had been left 
behind in Macedonia. ^'Paul was pressed in spirit." This is a 
faulty translation. It should be ''Paul was wholly given to the 
word. ' ' Silas and Timothy found him very busy in persuading 
these Jews and Greeks. Paul needed Silas and Timothy. He 
says later of himself at this time, "I was with you in fear and 
much trembling. ' ' No doubt his rebuff by the philosophers of 
Athens and the awful corruption of Corinth made him feel his 
weakness to denl with the sin that he saw all about him. The 
best of us need human -jmpathy and fellowship. 

Paul had always fel it his duty to go to the Jews first with 
the gospel. Now his c< nscience no longer held him to it, since 
they had rejected his well-meant efforts. Henceforth he turned 
to the Gentiles, shaking his raiment which meant the same as the 
symbolical act of shaking the dust from the feet. (See note on 
Chapter 13:51.) By this symbolical act he said, am free from 
your blood if you perish in your sins." According to this a 
preacher is responsible if he is not faithful to his flock in de- 
claring the whole counsel of God. As they would hear him no 
more he left the synagogue and went out to the house of Justus, 
who lived close by the synagogue, and held services there. Prob- 
ably he was interrupted by their loud cries when he attempted to 
preach in the synagogue. 

He had many converts and founded a strong church here, 
and Justus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and his family were 
saved and the whole household baptized. This must have greatly 
strengthened the cause. ' ' From this as well as several other pas- 
sages, we find that when the parents or heads of households be- 
came Christian believers, so did their children. All were baptized 
together. So, in one place, we read of 'the church which is in 
the house of Nymphas ; ' showing that such a group of believers, 
comprising parents and their children, might constitute a church 
of itself. How much beauty and sanctity there would be in such 
a spectacle — a church in each house — and how mightily the world 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



205 



would gain in Christian order, purity and power, if it were gen- 
erally recognized. " (Bishop Huntingdon.) 

Here we have an instance of the Lord fortifying his servant 
for future emergency. Paul was with them '*in weakness and in 
fear and in much trembling" as he afterwards confessed (1 Cor. 
2:3) and he was soon to be brought by the mob before Gallio, 
the deputy or proconsul of Aehaia. But God spoke to him in a 
night vision to comfort and fortify him, saying, ''Be not afraid 
but speak and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee and no man 
shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. ' ' 
The literal translation of the last clause is, ''Ther-e is for me 
much people in this city. ' ' It seems to mean that there were 
many honest-hearted people in the city who would embrace the 
gospel as soon as they heard it, and they were soon to hear it. 
The whole time that he was in Corinth was eighteen months. 

At the end of the eighteen months of his residence there, the 
Jews started an insurrection against him, and brought him before 
Gallio, who was astute and saw through their sophistry and drove 
them from the court room, declaring their charges unjust, for 
they had accused him of breaking the Eoman law. He said all 
their litigation was just about "words and names." To him a 
Eoman, the question whether Jesus was the Christ was only a 
question of names. The Greeks took occasion from this to beat 
Sosthenes, the chief representative of the Jews. The latter were 
very unpopular and it did not take much to stir up riot and per- 
secution against them. So the Jews were punished in their perse- 
cution instead of Paul, for Gallio did not care to interfere to 
stop the beating of Sosthenes. So Paul was freed and his perse- 
cutors punished. 

Paul remained quite a long time in Corinth after this, and 
then, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him, sailed for Syria. He 
had his head shorn before he left the seaport, Cenchrea, because 
he had taken a vow, * ' The vow here is very generally thought to 
be that of the Nazarite: the restrictions of this vow were three- 
fold. There must be entire abstinence from all strong drink, 
from the juice of the grape, and from everything belonging to 
the vine. The hair of the Nazarite was to be permitted to grow, 
no razor touching his head during all the days of his separation, 



206 



COMMENTARY ON 



and he should on no account defile himself for the dead. When 
the term of the vow expired, the Nazarite brought a sin-offering, 
a burnt-offering, with the usual appendages, his hair being shorn 
or shaven, and cast into the fire which was under the sacrifice of 
the peace offerings, indicating the ordinary state of friendly com- 
munion with God. If the vow here mentioned was that of the 
Nazarite, Paul must have shorn, not shaved his head at Cenchrea, 
preparatory to the vow, purposing not to cut his hair again till 
he had fulfilled the vow by the offering at Jerusalem, or else the 
obligations of the Nazarite had been changed since Old Testa- 
ment times. The customary term of the Nazarite vow, when not 
for life was, according to the Eabbis, forty days." (Abbott.) 

They come to Ephesus. It was usually a voyage of two or 
three days. Here he went into the synagogue and preached. They 
tried to have him stay longer but he said he must go to Jerusalem 
to keep the feast — probably the feast of Pentecost. It must have 
been a very important vow to cause him to tear himself away 
from an opportunity to preach the gospel to his countrymen. 
Paul set an example in going to Jerusalem to the feast, that all 
Christian workers should imitate. He looked after his own spir- 
itual needs. Some are so busy in the Lord's work that they 
become lean in their own souls. It is a good thing for workers 
to go away to some religious gathering for their own soul 's 
good. They will do better service on their return. It is a pity 
to see people spiritually starving to death when they are feeding 
others. 

PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY TOUR BEGUN. Vs. 23. 

23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went 
over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening 
all the disciples. 

He began this tour by revisiting the churches which he -had 
previously founded in Galatia and Phrygia. It will be noticed 
as we have had occasion to note before that on this second visit 
to these churches, he spent his time not in making disciples but 
in * ' strengthening all disciples. ' ' We have shown us in Acts 8 
that the custom with the apostles after souls were converted was 



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207 



to urge them to seek the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. We be- 
lieve Paul pursued this course everywhere, just as we know he 
did in Acts 19 when he asked the twelve disciples of John if they 
' ' had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. ' ' This is the 
true sense of the rite of Confirmation practiced in the churches 
of today, although the true sense is hidden from their eyes. 

A LAY PREACHER. Vs. 24-28. 

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an 
eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ; and being 
fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the 
Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom when 
Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and 
expounded vmto him the way of God more perfectly. 

27 And when he was disposed to pass into Aehaia, the brethren 
wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him : who, when he was come, 
helped them much which had believed through grace : 

28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, 
shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. 

The writer here introduces an episode in the work to give a 
specimen of the workers and a sample of the work of spreading 
the gospel, which was now making great headway among the 
nations. 

There was a certain Jew named Apollos, who was born at 
Alexandria. This city was in Egypt. It was a seat of learning 
and so interested had the scholars become in the religion of the 
Jews, that they had translated the Old Testament into the Greek 
language in the version called The Septuagint. We can see that 
it would be easy under such circumstances for Apollos to be very 
familiar with the Old Testament. Let us note some of the points 
that show that he was a converted" man; i. e., regenerate. 
1. He was eloquent. We do not claim that this is any proof of 
regeneration. Yet the truth has much to do with eloquence. The 
heathen used to say that an orator must be a good man, to be 
truly eloquent. And salvation is the theme of all others that 
affords opportunity for eloquence. 2. He was ''mighty in the 
Scriptures." We live in an age when men are mighty about the 



208 



COMMENTAHY ON 



Scriptures; when the number of books and especially books about 
the Bible is great — too great. ''Many of the books are profes- 
sionally religious, and so commend themselves to our consciences, 
and so piquant and palatable as to recommend themselves to our 
taste. Thus, all unwittingly, while we believe in the Bible, praise 
it, and read it by snatches, we fail to feed upon it with the keen- 
ness of relish and thoroughness of digestion essential to our 
highest profit. Hence arises a generation eloquent about the 
Scriptures but not mighty in them." 3. He was ''fervent in the 
Holy Ghost. ' ' Bengel says ' ' he had the Spi/rit not in that special 
way that is treated of in Chapter 19:6, but in the ordinary way." 
4. He was instructed in the way of the Lord. ' ' Alf ord, one of 
the best New Testament scholars of the 19th century, says this 
should be translated ' ' He was instructed in the things of Jesus. ' ' 
As yet he only knew by experience the baptism of John, but he 
had a knowledge of the things of Jesus. John's baptism did 
much for those who availed themselves of it, for it stood for 
faith in Jesus (Acts 19:4); also for regeneration. (John 3:36; 
John the Baptist is there preaching) ; the knowledge of salvation 
(Luke 1:77). All these experiences John preached and those 
baptized by him signified by the rite of baptism that they had this 
experience. Dr. Daniel Steele says of Apollos, "He was ac- 
quainted with all the facts of Christ's earthly life. Christian 
baptism included, but had failed to see that while John's bap- 
tism symbolized the negative side of sanctification, the putting 
away of sin, or death to sin. Christian baptism prefigures the 
positive part, the fullness of the Divine Life through the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost. . . . The great defect of Apollos, there- 
fore, was in not having a correct view of the extent of Gospel 
salvation through the baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit 
in the office of the Comforter and Sanctifier, and in the absence 
of the experience of this Spirit-baptism. He was in just the 
state in which many eloquent preachers are found in modern 
times. In a sense they are spiritual men, and some of them are 
"fervent in the Spirit," in his ordinary operations, but they 
have no experience of that instantaneous and mighty anointing 
of soul, that distinct and specific Pentecost — the crowning work 
of Jesus as foreseen by John, 'He shall baptize you with the 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



209 



Holy Ghost and fire.' Fletcher says that the ordinary work of 
the Spirit is like the dew; the extraordinary is the outpouring 
of a mighty shower. ApoUos had been moistened by the dew, 
but not drenched by the shower. Two of his hearers who were 
enjoying the shower in their own hearts quickly detected the 
dryness of the preaching of their Alexandrian pastor, suspected 
the cause, and attempted the cure. ' ' 

God used a pious layman and his wife to lead this eloquent 
preacher into the perfect light. Some of the commentators are 
puzzled to tell what he was led into. Those who know about the 
second work of grace called entire sanctifieation have no difficulty 
in the matter. 

No wonder that this "eloquent man, mighty in the Scrip- 
tures, ' ^ " instructed in the things of Jesus, " " fervent in Spirit, ' ' 
with his new touch of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, "might- 
ily convinced the Jews." 

See how much a consecrated layman and wife accomplished in 
instructing a man whom God used. They were preaching through 
him. See what they did not do. They did not pray at him and 
scold him in public and say "our preacher lacks the blessing." 
See how humble he was. He did not say ' ' These unlearned people 
cannot teach me anything. ' ' 

Little people can often prove themselves a blessing to big 
folks, as a small steam tug can help a great ocean liner out to 
sea. Here we see the twofold office of preaching illustrated. 
Apolios "helped them much which had believed through grace," 
(Vs. 27) and "mightily convinced the Jews." He built up the 
saints and reached the unbelievers. This is always the tendency 
of the work of holiness preachers. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



SOME PHASES OF A GENUINE WORK OF HOLINESS 

A Spirit Baptized Minister Makes the Second Work of Grace of 
the First Importance. Vs. 1-7. Controversy is Necessary on 
the Part of a Holy Ministry. Vs. 8-10. God Gives a Holy 
Ministry Special Gifts When Necessary. Vs. 11-12. The 
Devil Always Seeks to Imitate the Work of God. Vs. 13-17. 
A Holy Ministry Requires a Genuine Repentance. Vs. 18-22. 
Holiness in Preaching Always Antagonizes Sin. Vs. 23-41. 

A SPIEIT BAPTIZED MINISTEY MAKES THE SECOND 
WORK OF GRACE OF THE FIRST IMPORTANCE. Vs. 1-7. 

1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul 
having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus : and finding 
certain disciples, 

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye 
believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard 
whether there be any Holy Ghost. 

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And 
they said, Unto John's baptism. 

4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repent- 
ance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which 
should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 

5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the 
Lord Jesus. 

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost 
came on them ; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 

7 And all the men were about twelve. 

We find in this chapter some phases of the work where 
the preacher makes the second work of grace of the first im- 
portance. Paul passing through the eastern part of Asia Minor 
came to Ephesus and found there twelve disciples (not sinners), 
of whom he asked the question ' ' Have ye received the Holy 
Ghost since ye believed?" Let us remember that these were 



211 



312 



COMMENTARY ON 



disciples. Some have translated the passage ''Did ye receive the 
Holy Ghost since ye believed ? ' ' This translation makes no ap- 
preciable difference, for they had believed, but had not yet re- 
ceived the gift of the Holy Ghost. We see here that Paul con- 
sidered this the first subject that should be presented to disci- 
ples; just as the church at Jerusalem when Philip had his revival 
at Samaria, considered it the thing of first importance that Peter 
and John should go down to Samaria and urge upon the converts 
the matter of receiving the Holy Ghost. This is the first thing 
that should be pressed upon converts today. Jesus too, very early 
in his ministry encouraged his disciples to pray for the gift of the 
Holy Ghost. (Luke 11:13.) 

Their reply to this question was ''We have not so much as 
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." They had not heard 
that the Holy Ghost was given to believers seems to be the idea. 
It can not be that they had not heard of the Holy Ghost for 
John the Baptist, whose disciples they were, had preached, say- 
ing of Jesus, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
fire." Abbott says, "Their reply means 'Nothing was said about 
receiving the Holy Ghost at the time of our conversion and 
acceptance of Christianity. ' " They believed that Jesus was the 
promised Messiah; but the further truth that another Comforter 
had come, who was given for light and life to all that would 
receive him (Chapt. 2:38-39) they had heard nothing of_. The 
church still contains many Ephesian Christians, who believe in 
God, the Father, and Christ as the Eedeemer, but not practically 
in a Holy Spirit, on whom they may daily and hourly rely, and 
in whose inspiration and guidance there is perfect liberty. They 
have accepted the doctrine of repentance, baptism, and the re- 
mission of sins; but they have not gone on to receive the gift 
of the Holy Ghost. Unless a person is prejudiced he will not 
attempt to doubt that these were saved men. ' ' Paul found twelve 
Christims. That they were genuine Christians is shown first by 
the fact that they were styled disciples. This term standing alone 
is always used in the Acts and Epistles as a synonym for Chris- 
tians. Look in your concordances again and see how numerous 
the passages like these are. 'He that believeth shall be saved.' 
'Unto us who believe he is precious,' You will then be prepared 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



213 



to justify the assertion of Alford, that 'to believe,' when no 
objection is added 'can bear no meaning but that of believing on 
the Lord J esus. ' But how could they be Christians in utter 
ignorance of the Holy Ghost! If they were instructed in John's 
baptism only, they must have heard of the Holy Ghost, for John 
pointed his disciples to him 'who should baptize with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire.' If they were believers in Moses they must 
have heard of the Spirit of God. If they had read the Hebrew 
Psalms they would have found this expression, ' Take not thy Holy 
Spirit from me.' Therefore, we conclude with Bengel, that a 
strict construction must be put on these words, 'We have not so 
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost, ' but rather this, 
*Not even have we heard this, that there are others who receive 
him.' Therefore, what they were ignorant of was the effusion of 
the Holy Spirit peculiar to the New Testament. There we find 
the old adage true, 'I/ike priest, like people.' They were exactly 
in the same state of experience with their former pastor, Apollos. 
(Chapter 18:25-28.) They were in the ante-pentecostal state 
years after the Pentecost, as many Christians are today, centuries 
after the effusion of the Spirit. It is for the purpose of demon- 
strating the possibility of a fact so anomalous that we have con- 
ducted our readers through this exegesis. We believe that all 
candid readers will vindicate us from the charge of handling the 
Word of God deceitfully! 

If our inference from this passage is correct, then it follows 
that when penitents are justified through faith in Christ, they do 
not in the Pauline sense 'receive the Holy Ghost,' in the peculiar 
office of the Paraclete, though they may receive the witness of 
the Spirit. It follows moreover that it is the duty of all, who 
have been filled with the Spirit, whether preacher or laity, to 
testify of this great salvation, and to use many efforts to lead 
others, especially preachers of the Word into the enjoyment of 
this grace. (Dr. Steele.) 

They said they were baptized into John's baptism. His bap- 
tism represented certain doctrines and experiences and whoever 
was baptized professed by the act to have embraced this doctrine 
and to have been partakers in these experiences for which it 
stood. It seems necessary to show right here what John preached 



314 



COMMENTARY ON 



and in so doing we shall show that these twelve disciples were 
justified, and regenerate men. 1. John preached repentance, 
(Mark 1:4); 2. John preached remittance or forgiveness of sins 
(Mark 1:4). 3. John preached that we must believe on Jesus 
(John 3:36) also Verse 4 of this chapter. Notice the speaker is- 
John the Baptist and not John the writer of the Gospel according 
to St. John. (See also Verse 4.) John preached the possibility 
of knowing that we are saved (Luke 1:77). So when these twelve 
men were baptized as well as all John's converts they professed 
by that act to have repented; to have had their sins forgiven; to 
have believed on Jesus; to have been regenerated, and to know 
their sins were forgiven. As they were manifestly converted, 
they now received Christian baptism for the baptism of John, as 
a ceremony was not in the name of the Holy Trinity. 

Paul then laid his hands upon them, after they were baptized 
and the Holy Ghost came upon these baptized helievers. Some 
who have tried to make out that these men were unconverted and 
received the Holy Ghost at the same time fail to see that they 
were here baptized with water first and then received the Holy 
Ghost afterwards. Certainly they were not sinners when thej were 
baptized with water. The Bible nowhere authorizes the baptism 
of unconverted men. Abbott says, ''There is nothing in this 
language inconsistent with the idea that they had been previously 
converted." Believers baptized with water were here recipients 
of the Holy Spirit. 

CONTEOVERSY ON THE PART OF A HOLY MINISTRY 
IS NECESSARY. Vs. 8-10. 

8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space 
of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the 
kingdom of God. 

9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake 
evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and 
separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. 

10 And this continued by the space of two years ; so that all they 
which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and 
Greeks. 

Controversy is necessary because error is in the v/orld. To 
allow error to go unchallenged is cowardly and fatal to souls who 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



215 



will be snared by it, if we do not speak out. Some people think 
holiness is a jelly-fish affair, that allows no controversy. But all 
the blessings of the Gospel that have come to us were bought by 
some one's strength and blood. All the great doctrines have been 
preserved by controversy. So Paul kept agitating the truth. 
He disputed daily in the school of Tyrannus. 

Men can not hear the gospel and be the same afterwards. 
Either they will embrace it and become better or they will refuse 
and become hardened. It was so with some of Paul's hearers. 
So Paul kept up this kind of preaching for two years, trying to 
show that Jesus was the Messiah who had set up the kingdom of 
God upon earth. 

GOD GIVES A HOLY MINISTRY SPECIAL GIFTS WHEN 
NECESSARY. Ys. 11-12., 

11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul : 

12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs 
on aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits 
went out of them. 

It is notable that miracles are not the ordinary divine method 
of working. God never works uncommon methods except in special 
crises. When Moses began his work of leading Israel out of 
bondage miracles were necessary to put the seal of divine ap- 
proval upon his work. When Jesus began the gospel dispensation 
miracles were necessary. So here was Paul in a city much given 
to belief in witchcraft and magic. It seemed therefore necessary 
to counteract and neutralize these occult influences by special dis- 
plays of divine power. These miracles at the hands of Paul were 
out of the usual order of his ministry. He did not perform them 
in other places. God will help out his servants in some manner 
in an emergency. 

THE DEVIL ALWAYS SEEKS TO IMITATE THE WORK 
OP GOD. Vs. 13-17. 

13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them 
to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, 
saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 



216 



COMMENTARY ON 



14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of 
the priests, which did so. 

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul 
I know; hut who are ye? 

16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and . 
overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of 
that house naked and wounded. 

17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling 
at Ephesus ; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus 
was magnified. 

As sure as God works in any dispensation, the devil seeks to 
imitate it. Jannes and Jambres, the Egyptian magicians, sought 
to do as Moses did when he performed his miracles. "When Jesus 
came in human form, the devil began to possess people also. 
When divine healing began to be manifest in modern times, the 
devil raised up ' * Christian Science, ' ' And so when these gracious, 
miracles were wrought through the agency of Paul, Satan inspired 
certain vagabond Jews to do the same thing. 

There were seven sons of one Scaeva, a Jewish priest who 
undertook to cast out devils in the name of Jesus as Paul did. 
They by doing thus were trying to make out that Paul was one 
of their number. So when they commanded the evil spirit to go 
out of a man, it replied, "I know who Jesus is, and as for Paul^ 
I am well acquainted, but who are youf" And he wounded 
them and stripped them of their clothes. The result of all this 
was great fear came on the Ephesians and the name (not of 
Paul) but of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Paul always made 
everything that he said and did, glorify the name of Jesus. 

A HOLY MINISTEY EEQUIEES GENUINE EEPENT- 
ANCE. Vs. 18-22. 

18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their 
deeds. 

19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books 
together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price 
of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 

20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 

21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, 
when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, 
saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 317 

22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto 
him, Timotheus and Erastus ; hut he himself stayed in Asia for a 
season. 

Eeal preachers of holiness both ancient and modern since the 
days of John the Baptist are very clear and definite in their 
preaching on the doctrine of repentance. They require "fruits 
meet for repentance. ' ' In modern times as a rule only preachers 
of holiness say much about repentance and its fruits. 

The gospel always upsets dishonest business, when men em- 
brace it. When the liquor seller knocks in the heads of the bar- 
rels of his whisky and turns it into the gutter we know his 
repentance is genuine. So here were two classes of people who 
brought forth fruits meet for repentance. Those who had partici- 
pated in magical arts as practiced by the sons of Scaeva and those 
who got their living by this method of fraud. The former con- 
fessed and gave up the practice. The latter burned their books 
which were worth in our money from $8,000 to $10,000. There 
is no warrant in this for Eoman Catholics to burn up religious 
books of Protestants because in this case the books were not 
wrested from the owner but voluntarily given up. 

HOLINESS IN PEEACHING ALWAYS ANTAGONIZES 
SIN. Vs. 23-41. 

23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. 

24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made 
silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen ; 

25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, 
and said. Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 

26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost 
throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much 
people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands : 

27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; 
but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, 
and her magnificence should be desroyed, whom all Asia and the world 
worshippeth. 

28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, 
and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 

29 And the whole city was filled with confusion : and having 
caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions 
in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 



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COMMENTARY ON 



30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the 
disciples suffered him not. 

31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent 
unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the 
theatre. 

32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another : for the 
assembly was confused ; and the more part knew not wherefore they 
were come together. 

33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews put- 
ting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would 
have made his defence unto the people. 

34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice 
about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 

35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said. Ye 
men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city 
of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of 
the image which fell down from Jupiter? 

36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye 
ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. 

37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither 
robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 

38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with 
him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are 
deputies : let them implead one another. 

39 But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall 
be determined in a lawful assembly. 

40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's 
uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this 
concourse. 

41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. 

The divine historian says ''there arose no small stir about 
that way. ' ' A genuine work of grace will stir the rage of the 
devil. The more good there is accomplished the greater will be 
his hate. When people talk about a religion that is loved by the 
world, they are not talking about the religion of Jesus. He said 
himself he came to send not peace but a sword. He said also 
that the kingdom of heaven was like heaven hid in meal. It only 
takes a very little leaven to make a great ferment. While it lifts 
the mass, it also makes a stir. Talk about a holiness that will be 
loved by the world and whose preaching will be approved of them, 
and you are talking about lightning without thunder and fire 
without heat. Preach holiness without opposition and you have 
come to a time when everybody in town is in the village ceme- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



219 



tery. The more we hurt the devil's kingdom, the more he will 
howl. There can be no wicked business in its neighborhood that 
will not be opposed to it. So as the gospel spread in Ephesus 
men began to give up their idols to such an extent that the busi- 
ness of making amulets, charms, and shrines or small models of 
the temple of the goddess of Diana, began to be injured. The 
same cry arose that comes from the saloon element when the 
cause of prohibition advances. Thank God for a gospel that 
gives trouble to iniquitous business. 

Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines (small silver 
models of the temple of Diana) got alarmed. It seems the idola- 
ters were accustomed to worship the models of the temple and 
even carry them with them on their journeys and set them up in 
their dwellings for worship. So he called a meeting of his fellow 
silversmiths and made this charge : ' ' Paul hath persuaded and 
turned away much people. ' ' What a glorious commendation it 
was of the work of Paul. (See a similar charge in Acts 21:28.) 
Our holy religion may be persecuted but men have to acknowledge 
and fear its power. He then went on still further to compliment 
the gospel by saying that not only would their business be ruined 
but the temple of the great goddess, Diana, would be deserted 
and its magnificence ruined. It has been deserted and ruined. 
Where is it today? ''Nothing more hinders men from going to 
or from an opinion than the interest they have by holding it. 
Men do not care so much for the opinion they hold as for what 
they hold by their opinions. Many a man thinks what Demetrius 
said, ' this craft by which we have all our wealth is like to be 
set at naught. ' Hence they begin to fly in the face of truth, and 
oppose it with outrageous rage, so dearly sw^eet, and sweetly dear, 
is their darling gain. When once the copy-hold of gain and honor 
is touched, men begin to look about them, and will never call 
godliness gain, because gain is their godliness." (Vaughan.) 
Demetrius had inflamed their religious hatred and stirred their 
patriotism to a white heat, and with the unreasoning fury of aU 
mobs they seized two of Paul's travelling companions and dragged 
them into the theatre, which was the largest of the times, and 
would hold fifty thousand people. It was a semi-circular enclosure 
without a roof. Paul would have gone in to restore his comrades 



220 



COMMENTARY ON 



or to die with them, but some of the city officers who were 
friendly to Paul, restrained him. Most of the mob did not know 
why they were there, as one cried one thing and another another. 

The Jews were not friendly to Paul, were frightened lest the 
mob might think they were the cause of the tumult, as there was 
great prejudice against the Jews. So they put Alexander up to 
explain that they had nothing to do with the matter. But when 
the multitude knew he was a Jew they cried for two hours 
Great is Diana of the Ephesians. " This crying out was an act 
of worship. Some think this Alexander was the coppersmith who 
gave Paul so much trouble. (2 Tim. 4:14.) 

Finally the secretary of the city recorder's office appearing, 
silence was restored and with a very tactful speech he brought 
them to soberness and then dismissed them. Notice the tact he 
displayed. He first stated that it was undeniable that the city 
worshipped the great goddess Diana, whose image fell down from 
heaven. Paul's preaching had created doubts on this point, but 
he now re-establishes their faith. Then he tells them that these 
men had done nothing. They had neither robbed churches nor 
spoken against Diana. Here we get a hint of the correct way to 
preach. Instead of criticising their religion, Paul had shown the 
excellence of the religion of Jesus. We get ahead better not in 
attacking men's religion, but in showing the loveliness of our 
own. The best way to fortify men in the belief in a false religion 
is to attack it, and they will rally to its defence, and grow 
stronger in their faith in it. He said that if Demetrius or his 
craftsmen had any complaint against Paul they could take the 
case into the courts. And if it was any question as regards the 
safety of the city it could be taken up in a regular town meeting. 
He concluded by reminding them that the Romans, who were 
their masters, might call upon them to explain the cause of the 
day's tumult as the Romans did not countenance such tumultuous 
assemblages. The crowd took the hint and dispersed. 



CHAPTER XX. 



A HOLY MINISTRY ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL. 
Its Activities. Vs. 1-17. Its Characteristics. Vs. 18-35. Its 
Religious Self-Denial. Vs. 36-38. 

ITS ACTIVITIES. Vs. 1-17. 

1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the 
disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. 

2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them 
much exhortation, he came into Greece, 

3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait 
for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return 
through Macedonia. 

4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea ; and of 
the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus ; and Gaius of Derbe, and 
Timotheus ; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. 

5 These going before tarried for us at Troas. 

6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened 
bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days ; where we abode seven 
days. 

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came 
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on 
the morrow ; and continued his speech until midnight. 

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they 
were gathered together. 

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, 
being fallen into a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk 
down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up 
dead. 

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said. 
Trouble not yourselves ; for his life is in him. 

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, 
and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he 
departed. 

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little 
comforted. 

13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there 
intending to take in Paul : for so had he appointed, minding himself 
to go afoot. 



221 



222 



COMMENTARY ON 



14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came 
to Mitylene. 

15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against 
Chios ; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyl- 
lium ; and the next day we came to Miletus. 

16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would 
not spend the time in Asia : for he hasted, if it were possible for him, 
to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. 

17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of 
the church. 

There is little rest or opportunity for mental or spiritual 
stagnation in the experience of a holy preacher. He feels the 
divine ''go," that Jesus uttered in his farewell talk to his 
disciples, *'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to 
every creature. ' ' The word of God is like * ' a fire shut up in his 
bones." His heart goes out to all mankind. His only ambition 
is to spread the truth. Like light and salt he seeks to shed his 
energies over the whole world. So it was with Paul. Far from 
being discouraged by the mob of Ephesus, as soon as the uproar 
had ceased he bid farewell to the brethren of Ephesus and pre- 
pared to carry the gospel to other lands. So he started for 
Macedonia, and Greece, laying the foundations of the gospel in 
every town to which he came. What an untiring worker he was! 
This holy man was such an instrument of destruction to the devil 's 
kingdom that Satan resented it, and stirred up the Jews to kill 
him. There were many plots of this kind during his ministry. 
(See Acts 9:23, 29; 23:12; 2 Cor. 11:32.) 

Leaving Europe he sailed back to Asia, landing at Troas. 
Eesting here seven days he holds a church service on the first day 
of the week. After Jesus rose on the first day of the week, the 
Christian church made the first day of the week their Sabba.th 
and the custom has continued until the present. God has blessed 
this use of the first day of the week, and what God blesses, we 
ought to observe and perpetuate. This day came to be known to 
the Christian church as ''The Lord's Day." From the fact that 
the early church made it their Sabbath and because God has 
blessed its use, we also get our authority for its use. On this day 
Paul and the brethren partook of the Lord's Supper, After this 
he preached late into the night. He had much to say; the people 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



223 



needed instruction and he spoke none too long for these reasons. 
Such protracted preaching is not needed in these days of light 
and general information on religion. 

Then an after-meeting was held in the guest chamber of the 
house or ' ' upper room. ' ' It was evidently crowded, for some had 
to sit on the window seat. There was a young man by the name 
of Eutychus, sitting thus on the window ledge, who fell asleep 
and fell out of the third-story window and was taken up dead. 
Some commentators have asserted that he was only stunned. The 
record says he was taken up dead. ' ' The youth falls and is 
taken up dead; so much is plainly asserted. Paul, not a phy- 
sician, but an apostle, gifted, not with medical discernment, but 
with miraculous power, goes down to him, falls upon him, and 
embraces him, a strange proceeding for one bent upon discovering 
if he had suspended animation, but not so for one who bore in 
mind the action of Elijah (1 Kings 17:21) and Elisha (2 Kings 
4:34), each time over a dead body, and having done this, not 
he fore, he bids them not to be troubled, for his Ufe ims in him. 
I would ask any unbiased reader, taking these details into con- 
sideration, which of the two is a natural interpretation — and 
whether there can be any reasonable doubt that the intent of Luke 
is to relate a miracle of raising the dead, and that he mentions 
falling on and embracing him as the outward significant means 
taken by the apostle to that end." (Alford.) 

Paul then went on all night with talking with his friends. 
Having talked with his friends all night he started in the morning 
on a foot journey of twenty miles. This shows the burning zeal 
and untiring activity of a holy preacher indeed. These were some 
of the experiences of which he speaks in 2 Cor. 11:23-28, ''In 
labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more 
frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty 
stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I 
stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been 
In the deep; in journeyings often, ia perils of waters, in perils 
of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the 
heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils 
in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and pain- 
fulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often. 



224 



COMMENTARY ON 



in cold and nakedness. Besides all these things that are without 
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. ' ^ 

So they (Paul and Luke and others) (see verse 4) sailed from 
Assos and came to Miletus. Finding the ship would delay long 
enough, he sent to Ephesus, thirty-seven miles distant, and re- 
quested the elders of the Ephesian church to come to meet him, 
as he was in haste to get to Jerusalem and could not stop at 
Ephesus. 

ITS CHAEACTEEISTICS. Vs. 18-35. 

18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, 
from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have 
been with you at all seasons, 

19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many 
tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the 
Jews : 

20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but 
have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to 
house, 

21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 

22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not 
knowing the things that shall befall me there : 

23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that 
bonds and afflictions abide me. 

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life 
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the 
ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel 
of the grace of God. 

25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone 
preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 

26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from 
the blood of all men. 

27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of 
God. 

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over 
the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church 
of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves 
enter In among you, not sparing the flock. 

30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse 
things, to draw away disciples after them. 

31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three 
years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



225 



32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of 
his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance 
among all them which are sanctified. 

33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 

34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto 
my necessities, and to them that were with me. 

35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought 
to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, 
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

We know of no passage in the word of God that describes so 
minutely the work of a holy ministry. It is a touching farewell 
address. It is worthy of much study. Notice, he calls them to 
witness that he had done and been all that he here describes. We 
will take up these characteristics in detail. ' ' Serving the Lord. ' ' 
He was not the servant of the people, but of Christ. Many 
churches treat the preacher as if he were a slave to do their 
bidding. Paul in many places in his epistles calls himself a 
servant (bond slave) of Jesus Christ. "With all humility of 
mind. ' ' How humble he was — the ambassador of Jesus Christ, 
the leading apostle of Christianity, yet toiling with his hands, to 
support himself at his trade that he might preach the gospel. 
"Many tears." He was not a stoical hardhearted man, who 
never felt anything. He had a warm, loving heart. Some people 
think salvation stupefies us so that the natural sensibilities are 
benumbed; not so. The true ministry bathes its prayers, for men, 
in tears. "And temptations." All great and successful servants 
of God have great temptations. It is necessary to their spiritual 
development. Jesus the greatest of all preachers had great 
temptations. The more we are like these great preachers the 
greater will be our temptations. "The trying of your faith is 
more precious than that of gold that perishes." These tempta- 
tions or trials were caused by the laying in wait of the Jews to 
kill him. These trials of persecution by his own countrymen 
afflicted him more than any of the many others that he had, for 
he had great love for his own countrymen (Rom. 10:1). It hurt 
his soul more that the personal violence he received from the 
heathen. Many times the Jews tried to kill him (See Chapter 
9:23, 29; 23:12 and 20:3). "Kept back nothing." The figure 
is of a man through whose mouth God's message is flowing, and 



226 



COMMENTARY ON 



some truths of the truths are unpalatable to his hearers, but he 
is so true to God and loyal to the truth that he holds nothing 
back. The phrase ' ' kept back nothing ' ' is translated ' ' shunned ' ' 
in verse 27. A class of preachers is hinted at, who keep back 
unpleasant truth lest it hurt their popularity. Notice he says, 
* * I kept back nothing that was profitable to you. ' ' He may have 
kept back truth that they were not prepared for; he may have 
kept back meat from the babes in Christ, who needed milk. Jesus 
himself said to his disciples, ' ' I have many things to say unto 
you, but ye cannot bear them now." 

''Testifying." He says in another place that God had made 
him both a minister and a witness. Testimony is the relation of 
personal experience. So Paul told his experience of salvation and 
faith; told how he changed his mind towards God, and trusted 
Jesus for salvation. Testimony among ministers is becoming a 
lost art today. Would we had more of it. Here repentance seems 
to be put before faith. Really both go together. We can hardly 
do one ,without doing the other. Since repentance means a change 
of mind on the question of sin, and is wrought in the consenting 
soul of the sinner, we can hardly repent without also exercising 
faith. To have faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ is to trust 
in his infinite sacrifice by a faith that rests on nothing else, 
having discarded any merit of our own in seeking salvation. 
* ' Bound in the spirit. ' ' He felt constrained in his spirit to do 
all the will of God and he was constrained to go to Jerusalem, 
because that seemed to him to be the will of God. ' ' Not knowing 
the things that shall befall me." This was faith indeed — he was 
determined to go to Jerusalem because he believed God willed it 
and yet he did not know what he was to meet there. But he 
trusted God for the unknown future. This was entire consecra- 
tion. If we can not trust God for the unknown future, we are 
not entirely consecrated. 

' * The Holy Ghost witnesseth. ' ' He said the Holy Ghost had 
prophesied to him that bonds and afflictions awaited him in every 
city to which he went. The Holy Spirit often gives the saints a 
vision or premonition of what is coming. And the same Spirit 
that thus prophesies is also the Comforter in their afflictions. 
* ' But none of these things move me, neither count I my life as 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



227 



dear unto myself." He counted his life now, only as it might 
be of value, not to himself, but to Jesus. The figure here is of a 
racer who cares nothing for the effort he puts into the race if he 
can only finish it with the joy that comes from success. The 
joyful finishing of his course he tells us in 2 Tim. 4:6 became a 
factj "for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my 
departure is at hand, I have fought a good fight. I have finished 
my course. I have kept the faith, ' ' and he did finish his course 
witii joy, for he said, "henceforth there is laid up for me a 
crown of rejoicing." And the saints finish their course thus in 
their latter days. Dr. Payson, the devoted Congregational clergy- 
man of Portland, Me., said on his sick bed, ' ' To adopt the figura- 
tive language of Bunyan, I might date this letter from the land 
of Beulah of which I have been for some weeks a happy inhabi- 
tant. The celestial city is full in my view. Its glories beam upon 
me. Its breezes fan me, its odors are wafted to me, its sounds 
strike upon my ear, and its spirit is breathed into my heart. The 
sun of righteousness has been gradually drawing nearer and 
nearer, appearing larger and larger as he approached, and now 
he fills the whole hemisphere, pouring forth a flood of glory, in 
which I seem to float like an insect in the beams of the sun, 
exulting, yet almost trembling, while I gaze on his excessive 
brightness; and wondering, with unutterable wonder, why God 
should thus deign to shine upon a sinful worm. A single heart, 
and a single tongue, seem altogether inadequate to my wants. 
I want a whole heart for every emotion, and a whole tongue to 
express that emotion. ' ' 

* ' The ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus. ' ' He 
means to say that he received his commission to preach the gospel 
from Jesus Christ. In another place (2 Cor. 4:1) he says "s^- 
ing we have received this ministry we faint not. ' ' Paul believed 
he had a special call to the ministry. He did not go into it as 
some do in our day because he felt he could do more good than 
in anything else. But he felt a "woe is me if I preach not the 
gospel," because he felt a special call to the work. Notice two 
things in his ministry — he "preached" the kingdom of God" 
and was called also "to testify the gospel of the grace of God." 
His business was to be an advocate — preach the kingdom and 



228 



COMMENTARY ON 



''testify" to its grace. This is still the twofold business of the 
preacher. Such a ministry will always be successful and effective. 

He had a persuasion amounting to knowledge that he would 
see their faces no more. This knowledge must have been im- 
parted by the Holy Spirit, who does sometimes give the saints in 
these days a vision of things that are to come in their own ex- 
periences. Doubtless the general impression had come to him 
that his work was nearly done. He had been told by the Holy 
Spirit that bonds and imprisonments awaited him everywhere. 
His martyrdom occurred about five years later. 

He then calls them to witness to the fact that he was ''pure 
from the blood of all." He had done his duty by them in the 
fear of God. Their blood was not on his garments. "The form 
of expression is striking and memorable. It is borrowed from the 
crime of murder and the method by which guilt is ordinarily 
brought home to the criminal. In many cases conviction depends 
on blood being found on the clothes of the murderer. Hence in 
almost all cases of violence we hear of desperate efforts made by 
the terrified evil doer to efface the stain. This is the conception 
that leaps into the apostle's mind. He can not hope that all who 
have heard the gospel from his lips in that city are now in Christ. 
If they died in their sins, how unspeakable the loss — the loss of 
the soul! He shudders at the thought; and in order to quicken 
their diligence, when they should return to their labor, he en- 
deavors to impart some of his anxiety to the elders. He in effect 
invites th&m to look to their hands and garments to make sure 
that there is no blood on them." (Arnot.) 

"I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of 
God." In verse 20 he said "he had kept nothing back." Now 
he reiterates it. God has "counsel" which he gives to his serv- 
ants to deliver to the people. Paul does not say that he had 
given the whole counsel of God, but he had not slmnned to do it. 
Of course he did not know the whole counsel of God, but gave all 
God moved on him to give. 

"Take heed to yourselves." The first duty of a preacher and 
pastor is to watch over himself. If he does not keep a fresh, 
vigorous growing experience how can he expect his flock to be 
any better than he is. ' ' Like shepherd, like sheep ' ' is an old and 
true proverb. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



239 



' ' And to all the flock. ' ' The figure of a shepherd and his 
sheep as applied to a pastor and his people is often used in the 
Old Testament, and also by Jesus himself. He does not say they 
were to take heed to the flock but "all the flock" — every one; 
the poor, the unfortunate, those of cross, contrary disposition — 
all are to be looked after. The Holy Ghost had made them o^v-er- 
seers. ''The Eev. Version translates it bishops. In the New 
Testament, the term elder refers to the same office. There have 
to be leaders in the church. But nowhere does the New Testa- 
ment speak of popes, cardinals or men to ''be boss" and "lord it 
over God's heritage." 

These overseers are put there by the Holy Ghost to "feed the 
flock," not to fleece them. The great business of the leaders of 
the church should be to feed it. Yet some in these days some 
think we preach too much to the church. "Which he hath pur- 
chased with his own blood. ' ' This and similar passages show 
how much Jesus loves the church. Paul tells us in his 
letter written to the church to which these elders belonged, 
"Christ loved the church and gave himself for it that he might 
sanctify it." So we have the reason why he purchased it with 
his own blood. It was in order to sanctify it. Just before he 
went to heaven he said in his high priest's prayer "For their 
sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified." It 
strikes us with great force that Jesus loves this institution that 
is still in the world; called by his name; still enduring the re- 
proach of the world becaue it is his representative, and called by 
his name; misunderstood and often weak and imperfect though 
ever conscious of its great mission. Truly does St. John say, 
"having loved his own, he loved them unto the end," and then 
gave his own blood to redeem it from endless death. A day will 
come — his coronation day — when he will come before the throne 
with the church to his Father, "Washed in his own blood" and 
present it ' ' faultless before the throne of God. ' ' Thank God that 
Jesus loves his church with such tender love. 

He tells them to do three things. 1. "Take heed therefore to 
yourselves." (Vs. 28.) 2. Look out for the wolves — outside 
enemies that should come in among them to destroy them. (Vs. 
29.) This refers to false teachers who came into Ephesus from 



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other places. 3. Also false teachers should arise in their own 
midst (Vs. 30) and make division and seism. False doctrine has 
been the great bane and hindrance of the church of God in all 
ages. It is suffering from it today. Jesus and the apostles were 
continually opposing it. They never advocated the sickly senti-. 
ment ' ' It makes no difference what you believe if you are only 
sincere." False doctrine (heresy) is one of the works of the 
flesh. (See Gal. 5:20.) What poison is to the body heresy is to 
the church. It is ever creeping in and needs to be constantly 
guarded against. The church must keep filled with the Holy 
Ghost or false doctrine will abound. Holiness is the only antidote 
against false doctrine. The church today is being captured by 
liberalism because it refuses to go on to entire sanctification. 

On account of false doctrine coming in, he commands them to 
''watch" against it. That is our business in this age as well. 

He forever settles the question of the deity of Jesus, when he 
says in verse 28 that the church is of "God who purchased it 
with his own blood." Deity joined with humanity made the 
atonement effective — gave it its virtue and efficacy. 

He now commends them first to God; second to his word. He 
gives us two reasons why he commends them to ''the word of his 
grace. " 1. It is able to build us up. 2. It is able to give us 
"inheritance among all that are sanctified." In other words, it 
makes us strong in this world and fits us for the world to come 
at the same time. "The foundation is Jesus Christ. God is the 
great master builder: the doctrine of his grace or mercy points 
out the order and manner, as well as the extent, etc., of the 
building. Let us observe the order of these things: — 1. The soul 
of man, which was formerly the habitation of God is now in a 
state of ruin. 2. The ruins of this soul must be repaired, that it 
again may become an habitation of God through the Spirit. 
3. Jesus Christ is the only foundation on which this house can be 
rebuilded. 4. The doctrine of God 's grace is the model or plan, 
according to which the building can be raised. 5. When re- 
edified each is to be a living temple of the Lord, made inwardly 
pure and outwardly righteous, and thus prepared for a state of 
bliss. 6. Being children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus and 
sanctified by spirit, they have a right to the heavenly inheritance j 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



231 



foi only children of the family can possess the heavenly estate. 
Thus we find they must be saved by grace, and be thereby the 
children of God; be sanctified by his Spirit and then, being pre- 
pared for, they are removed in due time into the heavenly inherit- 
ance. ' ' (Clarke.) * ' I have coveted no man 's silver. ' ' A covetous 
preacher is like a man with a loathesome ulcer gnawing at his 
vitals, for f3ovetousness is idolatry. 

He also tells them that they knew well that he had earned his 
own living at his trade, in Ephesus (Acts 18:3 and 18). Paul 
not only supported himself but others (Vs. 34), showing that he 
mu&t have been a superior workman. The people whom he sup- 
ported must have been sickly. 

He quotes a saying of the Lord Jesus not found in the gospels. 
It must have been one of the sayings of Jesus, so startling as to 
be well remembered by mankind in general, although not written 
down — ' * It is more blessed to give than to receive. ' ' There is a 
blessing that comes to the liberal soul in the act of giving that 
is even greater than the gift to the receiver. If a consecrated 
man gives a thousand doUars to help the church in a community 
that needs the church, he confers a blessing on the whole town, 
but he gets a greater blessing than they do in his own soul. ' ' The 
liberal soul shall be made fat," says the writer of the Proverbs. 

What a sublime passage is this farewell address! A man full 
of a high purpose to do his duty and at the same time tender as 
a child and his spiritual children weeping and kissing him as he 
prays and bids them farewell. Something is wrong when a faith- 
ful minister is allowed to part with the people without any re- 
grets on their part. *^No other passage in the New Testament 
of the same length presents so clear and vivid a picture of the 
characteristic feature of Paul's ministry: his theme, repentance 
and faith (Vs. 21), enforced by a heralding of the kingdom of 
God (Vs. 25), a kingdom and inheritance of grace (Vs.' 32) ; 
his spirit, humility (Vs. 19), courage (Vs. 20, 27), unswerving 
purpose (Vs. 24), ceaseless industry, ardent feeling (Vs. 31), 
unselfishness (Vs. 33-35) ; his method, both a public preaching 
and a private conversation (Vs. 20). This address then affords 
a suggestion of what are the essential elements of a successful 
ministry." (Abbott.) Eichard Baxter has perhaps given us the 



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best analysis of this wonderful address thus: *'Here we are 
taught: Our general business: serving the Lord; our special 
work: talcing heed to ourselves and all the flook; the substance 
of our doctrine: repentance towards God and faith in our Lord 
Jesus Christ; the places and manner of our teaching: publicity- 
and from house to house; the object and internal manner: warn- 
ing everyone, night and day, with all humility of mind and with 
tears; the faithfulness and integrity that are requisite: / have 
he^pt hacTc ftvp thing thati was profitable unto you. I am pur^e 
from the Mood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare 
the whole counsel of God; the innocence and self denial to be 
used: I have coveted no man's silver or gold; the patience and 
resolution to be exercised: none of these things move me, neither 
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course 
with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord 
Jesus; and once more, the motives to engage us to all this: 
The Holy Ghost has made us overseers; the church we feed is 
the church of God which he hath purchased with his own Mood. 
Write this upon your hearts and it will do yourselves and the 
church more good than twenty years of study of the lower things 
which often employ your thoughts; which though they get you 
greater applause in the world, yet, if separated from these, will 
make you but 'sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.' " 

ITS RELIGIOUS SELF-DENIAL. Vs. 36-38. 

36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed 
with them all. 

37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 

38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they 
should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. 

It is a world of meeting and parting, which makes us long 
for the better world where no parting comes, but thank God, .holi- 
ness makes us "meet" for the inheritance with the saints in 
light, where no parting ever is known! 



CHAPTER XXI. 



TESTS OF ENTIRE CONSECRATION. 

Tests Put Upon Us by Our Friends. Vs. 1-16. Tests Put Upon 
Us by Our Enemies. Vs. 17-40. 

TESTS PUT UPON US BY OUR FRIENDS. Vs. 1-16. 

1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and 
had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day 
following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara : 

2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, 
and set forth, 

3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, 
and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre : for there the ship was to 
unlade her burden. 

4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days : who said to 
Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 

5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and 
went our way ; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and 
children, till tee were out of the city : and we kneeled down on the 
shore, and prayed. 

6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship ; 
and they returned home again. 

7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to 
Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 

8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and 
came unto Csesarea : and we entered into the house of Philip the 
evangelist, which was one of the seven ; and abode with him. 

9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did 
prophesy. 

10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from 
Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 

11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound 
his own hands and feet, and said. Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall 
the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall 
deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 

12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that 
place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 

13 Then Paul answered. What mean ye to weep and to break mine 



233 



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COMMENTARY ON 



heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem 
for the name of the Lord Jesus, 

14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying. The 
will of the Lord be done. 

15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to 
Jerusalem. 

16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, 
and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with 
whom we should lodge. 

Entire consecration is a very practical matter. It meets its 
tests constantly. It is one thing to struggle at the altar of prayer 
until we have put all upon it. But it is another matter to keep 
all upon the altar, day after day; year after year. Many have 
a struggle to give up, but they do not stay given up. They do 
not bind the sacrifice upon the altar. Paul never flinched in his 
consecration. No matter what came. We see Mm in these 
verses, meeting the test laid upon him by his friends. This is 
often more difi&cult than the tests of our enemies. Our friends 
will try to keep us from duty out of a mistaken regard for our 
welfare — afraid we will be hurt or our reputation suffer. So 
Paul found it in these instances. 

Let us notice the history that brings us to his test by his 
friends. Bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, he 
and his company continued the journey to Jerusalem, going by 
sea. The first stop was at Tyre. Here he found some disciples 
of the Lord Jesus. So the company remained there for a week. 
Here was another test of his consecration, for these disciples 
tried to persuade him not to go to Jerusalem. But he was 
''bound in the Spirit" (see Acts 20:22) to go and they could 
not persuade him to vary from what he believed to be his duty. 
His friends knew the danger, but he cared for nothing but what he 
believed to be duty. The parting meeting was a prayer meeting 
in the open air regardless of surroundings. 

From Tyre they continued their journey down the coast until 
they came to Caesarea, and put up at the house of Philip the 
evangelist. Here the writer says were four daughters of Philip 
the evangelist, who were inspired teachers. So we see the exam- 
ple and authority for women preaching, here. Paul met a severe 
test from his friends here that nearly broke his heart. There 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



235 



was a prophet here by the name of Agabus who came to visit him. 
Probably he was the same man mentioned in Acts 11:28. 

He took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet 
and said that the Jews would do the same by Paul when he got 
to Jerusalem. The symbolic acting out of their messages by 
prophets was a common thing in Old Testament times (See Isa. 
20:2; Jer. 13:1; Ezek. 4:1). He declared that the Holy Spirit 
had explicitly shown him that the Jews would treat Paul in the 
same way at Jerusalem; that is, that he would be bound and im- 
prisoned, Agabus had already prophesied a great famine and it 
had taken place (Acts 11:28). So now this latter prophecy had 
a great effect upon the disciples. They interpreted the prophecy 
as a warning for him not to go to Jerusalem. But it was rather 
designed as information so that Paul would be prepared to en- 
counter what was before him. Years before when he was 
converted, the Lord had shown him how great things he must 
suffer for his sake, (Acts 9:16.) So these premonitions were 
nothing new. His friends try to dissuade him from going further. 
"Yet his steadfastness to duty, though confronted here with a 
prospect of danger unto death, yielded not. No ordinary measure 
of heroism was it that induced such fixed resistance to the counter- 
entreaties of such and so many loving friends. But the terms 
in which he declares his persistency of self devotion are very 
touching. As expressing the purest, sublimest affection to Christ 
and to Christlike human friends the answer has no human paral- 
lel: What do ye weeping and tredking my heart i For I am ready 
not to he hound only hut to die for the n-ame of the Lord Jesus. 
This tender, lofty utterance furnishes a fitting counterpart to the 
many strong assertions of consecration and self-sacrifice with 
which his epistles richly abound. And the instant carrying 
out of this loving and unselfish protest with an unflinching 
heroism, fixes in our minds an immovable conviction of the apos- 
tle's absolute truthfulness in all his high professions of devotion 
to his Lord. 

"Eesponding to the impression produced by these intense 
words of Paul, recognizing in them a clear indication of that 
divine will by which his career had been so mysteriously guided, 
the true-hearted disciples ceased all further opposition, and ae- 



236 



COMMENTARY ON 



quiesced in his decision and in expressing the will of the Lord 
Jesus. And the fact is singularly suggestive that the very dis- 
ciples that would have hindered Paul's arrest at Jerusalem, hy 
that arrest were privileged with an unrestrained fellowship with 
him for two long years." (O. E. Daggett.) 

How many have swerved from duty because of the solicitation 
of friends. But Paul had a real consecration. He really meant 
it when he said, ' ' for me to live is Christ. ' ' We remember that 
the family of Jesus tried to swerve him from the path of duty: 
Happy the man whom friends cannot move to compromise. 

So the whole company *'took up their carriages" (baggage). 
We see here an illustration of how words change. In the days 
vvhen the Bible was translated into English the word carriage 
iij':ant that which was carried. Now it means the vehicle that 
carries the baggage. And so they w^ent to Jerusalem where the 
brethren gladly received them. 

TESTS PUT UPON US BY OUR ENEMIES. Vs. 17-40. 

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us 
gladly. 

18 Aad the day following Paul went in with us unto James ; and 
all the elders were present. 

19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what 
things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto 
him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which 
believe ; and they are all zealous of the law : 

21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the 
Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they 
ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the 
customs. 

22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: 
for they will hear that thou art come. 

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee : We have four men which 
have a vow on them ; 

24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at changes 
with them, that they may shave their heads : and all may know that 
those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing ; 
but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 

25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and 
concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



237 



themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from 
strangled, and from fornication. 

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself 
with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of 
the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for 
every one of them. 

27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which 
were of Asia, when they saw bim in the temple, stirred up all the 
people, and laid hands on him, 

28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help : This is the man, that teacheth 
all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place : 
and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this 
holy place. 

29 (For they had seen before with Mm in the city Trophimus an 
Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 

30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together : and 
they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple : and forthwith the 
doors were shut, 

31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief 
captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 

32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down 
unto them : and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they 
left beating of Paul. 

33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and com- 
manded Mm to be bound with two chains ; and demanded who he was, 
and what he had done. 

34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude : 
and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he com- 
manded him to be carried into the castle. 

35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was 
borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 

36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away 
with him. 

37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the 
chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak 
Greek? 

38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest 
an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that 
were murderers? 

39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city 
in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city : and, I beseech thee, suffer me to 
speak unto the people. 

40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, 
and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was 
made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, 
saying, 



338 



COMMENTARY ON 



Paul had stood the test by his friends and had not swerved 
from duty. Now he was to be tested by his enemies. Would his 
consecration endure the test? If we are entirely consecrated 
we will be tested at every point. It is a question, who will be 
our greatest tempters to swerve — our friends or our enemies. 

The day after their arrival St. Paul made a call upon St. 
James, who was the brother of Jesus, and stood at the head of 
the church at Jerusalem. All the elders or officers of the church 
at Jerusalem were present, and Paul made a very minute, de- 
tailed account of his labors and his great success. They seem 
to have had a praise meeting over the report. They then spoke of the 
special difficulty of the work at Jerusalem. It was because there 
were thousands of Jews who accepted Christianity as from God, 
who still held to the obligations of the ceremonial law, and who 
thought that Gentiles could become Christians only by being 
circumcised. These Jews too had been told by some one that 
Paul had taught all Jewish Christians to forsake the ceremonial 
law and not circumcise their children. This was a false accusa- 
tion. Paul had taught '^that neither circumcision nor uncircum- 
eision were of any consequence (Gal. 5:6; 6:15), that the un- 
circumcised need not be circumcised and that the circumcised 
should not be uncircumcised (1 Cor. 7:18-19); that Jew and 
Gentile are alike guilty before God, and are saved only by the 
grace of God through Jesus Christ. (Eom., chapter 1-3.)" 

They told Paul that this hostile multitude, composed of enemies 
of the gospel and Jewish Christians hostile would come to him 
to hear what he had to say, in the matter. 

So they advised him to go to the temple with four men, who 
had a "vow upon them" and purify himself with them. He 
could by thus going show his enemies that he was not a foe to 
the law of Moses: that like Jesus he came not to destroy but 
to fulfill the law. The vow here was undoubtedly the vow of 
the Nazarites who were the total abstinence people of the Old 
Dispensation. To go through all the rites and ceremonies and 
make all the offerings was expensive. And Paul by paying the 
expenses of the four would show the enemy that he was not 
trying to tear down the law of Moses. He did not believe there 
was any virtue in them, nor any harm. He always tried to be 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



239 



"all things to all men if by any means he might win some." 
Here he sought to be a Jew to the Jews if by any means he 
might win some. Numbers 6:13-18 tells us what the offerings 
were. Not until these offerings were made could they shave 
their heads and have their hair cut. So all the people could 
know that he ' ^ walked orderly ; ' ' that is that he walked accord- 
ing to rule. Paul did nothing wrong but he was governed by 
policy, rather than by his own preference. A holy man will never 
gain anything in the sight of his enemies by a course of policy. 
They will lie about him and prepare false charges against him 
anyway, no matter what he does. Paul made a mistake, no doubt. 
Holiness does not give perfect judgment or show us always just 
how to deal with bitter opposition. 

So Paul took the four men and went to the temple at Jerusa- 
lem to finish the ceremonies. All went well for nearly seven 
days, when as Paul and his four companions entered the inner 
temple, certain Asiatic Jews saw them and laid hands on Paul, 
calling for help, accusing him of taking Greeks (Gentiles) into 
the inner temple, which was contrary to law. This was all sup- 
position. They had seen Trophimus, an Ephesian, with Paul 
on the street, and anxious to find something against Paul, they 
jumped at the conclusion that Paul had taken him into the inner 
temple. Notice the high compliment that these enemies uncon- 
sciously gave Paul. ' ' This is the man that teacheth all men 
everywhere against the people and law and this place. ' ' Although 
the charge was exaggerated and essentially false yet it showed 
the great reputation and influence of Paul. Notice too, his ene- 
mies cried, ''Help," as if Paul were making an attack upon 
them. They considered it an attack of sacrilege against the 
temple. 

Nor was it mere policy on Paul's part to conciliate these ene- 
mies. His act was farther reaching; it showed the Christian 
Jews, who had not yet wholly got their Jewish prejudices, that 
Paul was not trying to destroy the Mosaic law, and thus it helped 
their weakness. 

The result was a great tumult. The whole city was aroused. 
Paul was dragged out of the temple and the multitude sought to 
kill him. It did seem as if he had escaped former dangers, only 



240 



COMMENTARY ON 



to be killed at Jerusalem, But God was watching over his servant. 
"A man is immortal until his work is done." See how Grod in- 
tervened through heathen soldiers. God had allowed the Romans 
to conquer Judea, who were obliged to pay tribute or taxes 
to the Roman every year. This taxation was a bitter experience 
for the haughty Jews, and nearly every time of taxation there 
had been rioting. Hence the Roman government had built a 
tower, called the Towner of Antonia, close by the temple and gar- 
risoned it with soldiers to keep the peace. We remember that 
Luke speaks of an insurrection where Pilate had killed some of the 
Jews right in the midst of their sacrifices. (See Luke 13:1.) 

This castle or tower was built so that it could command a 
view of the part of the city adjacent to the temple. The riot 
was instantly seen and the chief captain or tribune was on the 
ground at once with his soldiers, who interfered and the Jews 
stopped beating Paul. It was the business of the soldiers to keep 
order. They had no interest in Paul, rather they were prejudiced 
against him as a disturber of the peace. So they bound him 
with two chains. Then the chief captain began to examine into 
the matter, demanding that they should tell who he was and what 
he had done. 

The mob was as ignorant of what they were doing as they 
usually are in such cases, and could not tell. Some said one 
thing, some another. As the chief captain could not ascertain 
anything definite he commanded the soldiers to carry Paul into 
the castle. The multitude pressed close upon them, crying ' ' away 
with him" — the same that they had against Jesus, ''Away with 
him" or in other words ''kill him." 

Paul addressed the chief captain in Greek saying, "May I 
speak with thee?" The chief captain was astonished, asking, 
"Can'st thou speak Greek?" He supposed Paul was an Egyptian 
imposter who claimed to be the Messiah and had created disturb- 
ances previous to this. 

Paul's reply subdues the chief captain. The native dignity 
and character of Paul asserted a supremacy over the soldiers as 
Paul said, "I am a Jew of Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no 
mean city." Tarsus had the reputation of being a city of 
great culture. We see here that it is perfectly proper to assert 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



241 



ourselves in emergencies. Paul did not do this to advance his 
own interests but to help on the cause he loved. Unawed by 
the mob, badly beaten, in chains between two soldiers, he asks 
the chief captain for permission to speak to the crowd from the 
stairs and with a gesture, silencing the mob he addressed them 
in the Hebrew language. He had no fear whatever. ''We no 
longer wonder that this man wished to go into the theatre at 
Ephesus and fase the mob there." (Acts 19:30.) 



CHAPTER XXII. 



A SAINT DEFENDS HIMSELF. 

He Gives His Experience as His Defence. Vs. 1-23. He Stands Up 
for His Rights. Vs. 24-30. 

HE GIVES HIS EXPERIENCE AS HIS DEFENCE. Vs. 1-23. 

1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence tvhich I make 
now unto you. 

2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to 
them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 

3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in 
Cllicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught 
according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was 
zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 

4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and deliver- 
ing into prisons both men and women. 

5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate 
of the elders : from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, 
and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto 
Jerusalem, for to be punished. 

6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come 
nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a 
great light round about me. 

7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, 
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

8 And I answered, Wbo art thou. Lord? And he said unto me, 
I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 

9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were 
afraid ; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 

10 And I said. What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto 
me. Arise, and go into' Damascus ; and there it shall be told thee of 
all things which are appointed for thee to do. 

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being 
led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 

12 And one Ananias^ a devout man according to the law, having 
a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 

13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me. Brother Saul, 
receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 



243 



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COMMENTARY ON 



14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that 
thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest 
hear the voice of his mouth. 

15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast 
seen and heard. 

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash 
away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 

17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jeru- 
salem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ; 

18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly 
out of Jerusalem : for they will not receive thy testimony concern- 
ing me. 

19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in 
every synagogue them that believed on thee : 

20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also 
was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment 
of them that slew him. 

21 And he said unto me, Depart : for I will send thee far hence 
unto the Gentiles. 

22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted 
up their voices, and said. Away with such a fellow from the earth : 
for it is not fit that he should live. 

23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw 
dust into the air, 

Some teach that we should be non-combatants and make no 
defence when attacked. This is not scriptural. Jesus and Paul 
both defended themselves — not for their own sakes, however, but 
for the sake of the truth which they represented. It was a 
singular way too of defence— the relation of experience. Paul 
had an experience in which the Almighty was a partner. This 
made his course authorized of God. Happy is the man whose 
course is so in accordance with the divine plan that he has no 
apologies to make. His experience is his justification because 
his course is of God. 

It is noticeable that the heathen attacked him because his 
preaching was emptying the temple of Diana. And the Jews 
accused him of teaching what was against the temple at Jerusalem. 
Paul made trouble for false religions. Holiness always does and 
when holiness is attacked by any religionists it proves their religion 
false. They, who have the Spirit never attack the work of the 
Spirit. 

Paul was a great scholar. We notice that the chief captain 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



245 



was astonished to hear him speak Greek. And now when he 
speaks in Hebrew, the multitude are instantly quieted. He tells 
them that he is a Jew (Phil. 3:5) born in Tarsus, but educated 
in Jerusalem; that Gamaliel, one of the best teachers of the day 
was his instructor; that he was well read in Jewish law, and very 
zealous for God; as much as any of them. This last sentence 
is an adroit way of getting their sympathy. In another place 
he said he had lived in all good conscience before God. Even 
in his persecution of the Christiain church, he was honest. He 
put men to death for Jesus' sake, thinking he was doing right 
A false zeal has lighted the fires of persecution in all ages. It 
is not enough to have education and religion, if we do not have 
the kind of religion that fills the heart with love. He then goes 
on to give his experience as recorded in Acts 9. See our notes 
there. There are three accounts of his conversion that should 
be read together (See them in Acts 9 and 26 and here). In 
Acts 9 we have Luke's accoimt of Paul's conversion. But here 
we have it from his own lips. 

We get here, too, a little more light on the character of Ananias 
whom God sent to lead Paul into the light. He calls him, ''One 
Ananias, a devout man according to the law. ' ' This was evidently 
said to gain the favor of his hearers and give them less ground 
of accusation against him by showing that God sent a devout Jew 
to lead him into the light. 

Paul was a good debater. He knew how to make a strong 
defence. ''With great wisdom and tact he shapes his whole 
address. He defers to their manifestly hostile feeling by calling 
it a defence (Greek, apology). He avows himself a Jew, refers 
to his pure Jewish blood, his place of birth, and his early and 
thorough training in the knowledge and practice of the law at 
Jerusalem. He recalls that which they also well knew of his 
early life. He repeats the story of his surpassing zeal and frenzy 
in active persecution of Christian disciples; how he went even 
to Damascus for this purpose, under commission of the high 
priest and elders. He thus dwelt upon his fiercely fanatical 
career in order that the question might arise in their minds by 
anticipation, what had wrought so extreme a change. Surely 
they must feel and know that nothing less than an irresistible 



246 



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motive could have turned one of such indomitable fiery zeal so 
utterly against himself and his kindred and associates, against 
all his previous beliefs, prejudices, practices and hates." (Butler.) 
Surely the conversion of Paul was a miracle almost equal to the 
resurrection of Jesus. His conversion and the resurrection of 
Jesus are the two pillars on which the arch of New Testament 
truths rests. 

He then tells them that Jesus appeared to him there a year 
later (Gal. 1:18) in the temple, by a speical revelation, as he 
was praying. This shows that he had retained his veneration 
for that holy place, when they were charging him with talking 
against it. (Acts 21:28.) It was while Paul was praying that 
he had this revelation. It was while Jesus was praying that the 
Spirit came upon him (Luke 3:21-22); it was while Jesus was 
praying that he was transfigured (Luke 9:29). The time of 
prayer is often the time when God gives his people special revela- 
tion. 

So Paul here gives the Jews three proofs that his course was 
of God. 1. The Lord appeared to him at Damascus and told him 
to go into the city of Damascus and receive his commission to 
preach this gospel (Vs. 10). 2. Ananias came to him by divine 
direction to give it (Vs. 14, 15). 3. Jesus appeared to him in 
the temple. Surely Paul was not amiss in going to the temple 
to purify himself when he had met the Lord in the temple after 
his conversion. 

He declares that Jesus told him in the temple to ''Depart: 
for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles." This was too 
much for the national pride of his audience. They had been 
educated in the belief that the Messiah was only for the Jews, 
and that all other nations were dogs. They expected the Mes- 
siah to drive out the hated Romans and make Jerusalem the capi- 
tal of the world. Jesus himself was mobbed at Nazareth for 
teaching similar truths (Luke 4:28, 29), and had really been 
crucified for the same reason. The audience immediately on hear- 
ing this utterance cried out with a loud voice, cast off their outer 
garments and threw dust in the air. If Paul had not been 
guarded by Roman soldiers they would have stoned him as they 
did Stephen. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



247 



HE STANDS UP FOE HIS EIGHTS. Vs. 24-30. 

24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the 
castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging ; that he 
might know wherefore they cried so against him. 

25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the cen- 
turion that stood by. Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a 
Roman, and uncondemned? 

26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief 
captain, saying. Take heed what thou doest : for this man is a Roman. 

27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art 
thou a Roman? He said. Yea. 

28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained 
I this freedom. And Paul said. But I was free born. 

29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have 
examined him : and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew 
that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 

30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty 
wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, 
and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and 
brought Paul down, and set him before them. 

Paul was brought into the castle, as the Jews raged like -wild 
beasts seeking his life. The captain commanded that he be 
"examined by scourging." The captain could not understand 
what he had said to the multitude to stir their anger for Paul 
had spoken in Greek. So he proposed to have him whipped 
until he should teU what he had said to make them so angry. 
As the soldiers were binding him, in a kind of leather harness 
to a post, according to the custom, Paul said to a centurion, 
"Is it lawful for you to scourge a E^oman citizen, and uncon- 
demned?" This was a protest. Holy people have a right to 
protest against injustice and to assert their rights. To punish 
a Eoman citizen untried and uncondemned, especially to torture 
him was one of the highest crimes under the Eoman law. This 
was the second time Paul had asserted his Eoman citizenship. 
The other time was at Philippi. (See Acts 16:38.) 

This was a serious matter and the centurion reported it to his 
chief, who astonished and alarmed, came at once to Paul, and 
asked him if it was true. And Paul replied that it was. 

Xow the chief captain was in trouble. He did not know what 
to do with Paul. He himself had purchased Boman citizenship 



248 



COMMENTARY ON 



with a great sum of money, but Paul was free born, being a 
native of the cultured city of Tarsus, whose inhabitants had the 
rights of Roman citizenship. So the next day he was determined 
to find out who he was by calling the Jewish Sanhedrin together, 
and let Paul speak for himself before them. Thus he might gain 
knowledge sufficient to shape his future course. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



A SAINT MAKES HIS DEFENCE BEFORE THE 
CHURCH AUTHORITIES. 

1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said. Men and breth- 
ren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 

2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by 
him to smite him on the mouth. 

3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited 
wall : for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me 
to be smitten contrary to the law? 

4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 

5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high 
priest : for it is written. Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy 
people. 

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, 
and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council. Men and brethren, 
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection 
of the dead I am called in question. 

7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the 
Pharisees and the Sadducees : and the multitude was divided. 

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither 
angel, nor spirit : but the Pharisees confess both. 

9 And there arose a great cry : and the scribes that were of the 
Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying. We find no evil in this man : 
but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against 
God. 

10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, 
fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded 
the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, 
and to bring him into the castle. 

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said. Be 
of good cheer, Paul : for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so 
must thou bear witness also at Rome. 

12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and 
bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat 
nor drink till they had killed Paul. 

13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 

14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We 
have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing 
until we have slain Paul. 



249 



250 



COMMENTARY ON 



15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain 
that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would en- 
quire something more perfectly concerning him : and we, or ever he 
come near, are ready to kill him. 

16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he 
went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said,- 
Bring this young man unto the chief captain : for he hath a certain 
thing to tell him. 

18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and 
said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring 
this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 

19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with 
him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 

20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thoa 
wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they 
would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 

21 But do not thou yield unto them : for there lie in wait for him 
of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an 
oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him : 
and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 

22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and 
charged him. See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things 
to me. 

23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying. Make ready 
two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and 
ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night ; 

24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring 
him safe unto Felix the governor. 

25 And he wrote a letter after this manner : 

26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth 
greeting. 

27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed 
of them : then came I with an army, and rescued him, having under- 
stood that he was a Roman. 

28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they 
accused him, I brought him forth into their council : 

29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but 
to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 

30 And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the 
man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers 
also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell. 

31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and 
brought him by night to Antipatris. 

32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and re- 
turned to the castle : 

33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to 
the governor, presented Paul also before him. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



251 



34 And when the governor had read tJie letter, he asked of what 
province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia ; 

B5 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. 
And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall. 

It is astonishing but nevertheless true that every advance 
in religion, every improvement in its administration has found 
its bitterest enemies in the church, among the professed wor- 
shippers of God. The bitterest persecution that the great evan- 
gelists and reformers have had to suffer, has been at the hands 
of religionists, usually those who are the ecclesiastical leaders. 
Jesus Christ, Paul, Luther, Savonarola, Wesley, Knox, and Fin- 
ney found their greatest foes not in the outside wicked world, but 
in the bosom of the church. The Spanish Inquisition with all its 
horrors was in the professed church. The modern holiness move- 
ment as might be expected according to the voice of history 
has had its bitterest foes in the ranks of the visible church. Had 
it not found them there it might be well questioned whether it 
was in the apostolic succession; it would certainly lack one of the 
proofs that it is of God. We now find Paul talking to the Jew- 
ish Sanhedrim, to whom he makes his defence. 

He is addressing the highest council of the Jews. The same 
that condemned Jesus and Stephen to die. Luke says Paul ' ' earn- 
estly beholding them ' ' made his defence. It seems to us there are 
indications or proofs here that his eyesight was defective. 

Several similar passages seem to show that. In verse 5 Paul 
said that he did not know that it was the high priest who com- 
manded him to be smitten. He did not recognize him. We find 
several other passages that show that his eyesight was defective. 
(See Gal. 4:13-15.) No doubt this was his "thorn in the flesh" 
of which he speaks (2 Cor, 12:7). Perhaps this injury came 
from the fearful stoning he received at Lystra (Acts 14:19). 

He addresses the council as an equal, saying, * ' Men and 
brethren. " It is thought by some that he himself was once a 
member of this council. He then went on to say that in his whole 
course of life he had been conscientious. He had been honest in 
living up to his convictions. 

This enraged the high priest and he commanded some of the 
bystanders to smite Paul on the mouth. He had already preju- 



252 



COMMENTARY ON 



dice against Paul as guilty and to hear him assert his innocence 
enraged him. He had him smitten on the mouth, to shut his mouth, 
as uttering blasphemy. Paul replied, ''God shall smite thee thou 
whited wall." Paul here used the same figure that Jesus used 
in speaking of the chief priests and scribes. Everybody under- 
stood the figure. The Jews were accustomed to white wash their 
tombs, which while full of corruption were made by the white 
wash to appear clean. This was the character of Ananias. (See 
Matt. 23:27, and see what Jesus said of the same characters.) 
Paul gave his reason for thus describing him as a white wall, 
"Sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest thou 
me to be smitten?" It was rank injustice. Ananias was sitting 
to judge Paul for breaking the ceremonial law and he himself was 
breaking the Mosaic law that required careful investigation be- 
fore punishment. Paul was righteously indignant at this injustice 
and uttered a prophecy of the doom of that corrupt high priest. 
God did smite him five years later. ' ' Ananias had been appointed 
high priest in A. D. 48 by the Romans. In A. D. 52 he was sent 
to Rome to answer before the emperor on a charge of oppression 
brought by the Samaritans. The result is doubtful; but the best 
solution seems to be that Ananias was not formally deposed but, 
upon the murder of Jonathan (who had been appointed in his 
place during the suspension) in A. D. 57, he resumed his func- 
tions. This high priest's character for violence and lawlessness 
suggests that a guilty conscience assumed the guise of zeal against 
blasphemy when he ordered the bystanders to smite Paul on the 
mouth." (Smith.) 

Five years later, says Josephus, in a tumult begun by his 
own son he was besieged and taken in his own palace, where 
having in vain attempted to hide himself, in an old aqueduct, 
he was dragged out and slain. The Spirit of God inspired this 
prophecy of Paul without doubt. Numerous instances of this 
spirit of prophecy were found in modern times, among the <^uak- 
ers, when in their persecution in England they prophesied the 
judgment of God upon their persecutors, even naming the kind 
of death of which they should die, which was fulfilled to the 
letter. 

The bystanders protested in turn, saying to Paul, ''Revilest 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



253 



thou God's high priest?" Paul in turn made no apology for 
what he had said except to say he did not know he was reviling 
God's high priest. He had respect for the office, but not for 
the man. He would not revile anyone who belonged to God, but 
he did not know that it was the high priest. It is our duty to 
respect authority and office, for the powers that be, are ordained 
of God. But it is another matter when it comes to the matter of 
respect for unworthy men, who fill the office. 

Again we see his adroitness in debate. He sees there is no 
hope of a fair trial so he proceeds to obtain the only advantage 
possible by dividing the assembly. This was not a trick but it 
was a fair statement and exposition of the truth of the great 
doctrine of the resurrection, which was one of the great truths 
that Paul was constantly preaching. He saw that the assembly 
was divided between the infidel Sadducees, who were opposed to 
the doctrine of the resurrection and the spirit in man, and he 
turns their enemies, the Pharisees, against them and their false 
doctrine and in defence of that part of the truth which he and 
the Pharisees intensely believed. To be sure the Pharisees did 
not understand all that the doctrine of the resurrection implied. 
Paul knew it in its fullest degree, as embraced and proved by 
the resurrection of Jesus. And this was really, when brought 
down to its last analysis, the very reason why Paul was before 
the Sanhedrim, for his great theme was Jesus and the Eesurrec- 
tion. This was the great point at issue in that day. Paul 
says in Eom. 10:9 that the condition of salvation is, ''If thou 
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine 
heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be 
saved." So Paul easily rallied the friends of the truth to its 
defense, for it was Jesus and the Eesurrection that were on trial 
at this time, in the person of Paul their representative. He so 
declares, ''Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called 
in question. ' ' This was the reason he cried, ' ' I am a Pharisee 
and the son of a Pharisee." 

This divided the house at once, and the Scribes, who were 
Pharisees at once, cried, "We find no evil in this man." Paul's 
object is accomplished. The truth is vindicated and the court 
breaks up in confusion. The more respectable party pronounces 



254 



COMMENTAEY ON 



his innocence. At the same time Paul wished if possible to retain 
his hold on his brother Pharisees and lead them into the full 
degree of the doctrine of the Eesurrection as fulfilled in Jesus 
Christ. 

We see ttiat the Sadducees recognized that they were defeated 
in their attempt to have sentence passed upon him, for they at- 
tempted afterwards to assassinate him. 

The chief captain hearing the tumult, again sent soldiers to 
rescue Paul, who was in danger of being pulled to pieces, and 
bring him into the castle. Jesus had told his disciples when he 
sent them forth, "Lo I am with you always even unto the end 
of the age." This meant those to whom he spoke. It means 
also all since that time, who seek to spread his truths and estab- 
lish his cause. This is our consolation and inspiration when men 
oppose us. So was it with the great apostle to the Gentiles. 
No one ever had a more strenuous conflict than Paul. Because he 
was so effective in planting the gospel among the Grentiles, there- 
fore Satan made it as difficult as possible. But if there is a pow- 
erful adversary, there is also an all powerful friend, who is more 
than those that be against us. That night ''the Lord stood by 
him," and encouraged him. This was the fourth time the Lord 
Jesus had appeared to him: in the highway at the gates of Da- 
mascus (Acts 9) ; while praying in the temple at Jerusalem (Acts 
22:17-18) and at Corinth when his life was threatened (Acts 
18:9, 10). Paul was getting quite well acquainted with Jesus. 
Such acquaintance begets confidence, even greater than the con- 
fidence of our faith when we first believe. No wonder he said 
in his letter to Timothy near the close of his life, ' ' I know whom 
I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that 
which I have committed to him against that day." (2 Tim,l:12.) 
The Lord said to him, *'Be of good cheer Paul." He called him 
by name. It would appear from this that Paul was greatly 
depressed in spirit — not personally because of his danger, but 
because of his fear lest he might be either killed or imprisoned 
so that he could not make his contemplated visit to Rome, for 
the Lord Jesus had told him, ''As thou hast borne testimony of 
me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. ' ' His heart 
was bent on going to Rome to preach the gospel. He had prom- 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



255 



ised to do it. His ambitions were to live only to preach the 
gospel (See Rom. 1:10). His ambition was to "finish his course 
with joy" (Acts 20:24), and Jesus here assured him that he 
should do so. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his st«ps. ' ' 
There is a divine hand directing our affairs. It was leading Paul. 
It leads you and me if we are as fully committed to God. 

The next day his enemies laid a plot to assassinate him. About 
forty of them were in the plot, binding themselves by an oath, 
neither to eat nor to drink until they had slain him. They went 
to the chief priest and eldera and requested them to send for 
Paul as if they wished to ask some question and they were to kill 
him, when he came into their presence. Herodotus tells us that 
assassination had become a frequent occurrence at Jerusalem 
in these times. As far as their vow was concerned, it did not 
mean very much, for they had easy ways of securing absolution 
from it in accordance with the rules of the Jewish Rabbis. 

The large number in the plot led to its defeat; for Paul's 
nephew heard of it and entered the castle and told Paul, who 
had him repeat it to the chief captain, Lysias. The latter let 
the young man depart, charging him to keep the matter secret. 

Paul might have said the Lord told me that I should be pro- 
tected from danger in Jerusalem and I will take no precaution 
in the matter. It was his business just the same to use all the 
safeguards possible. Because God has promised to take care of 
us and protect us does not excuse us from doing our best to take 
care of ourselves. We are to trust God as if he were to do it 
all, and then do all we can as if it all depended on our own 
efforts; in all the emergencies of life. So the chief captain de- 
tailed a guard of soldiers and sent him away by night under 
their protection to Felix, the governor at Caesarea. It was a 
large guard, consisting of four hundred and seventy, but none 
too large to guard one man in the estimation of Lysias, for that 
man was a Roman citizen. The chief captain sent a word of ex- 
planation with the letter. The chief captain was glad to have 
the responsibility off his hands. The journey would require 
about two days, as Caesarea was sixty-eight miles distant. When 
the governor had read the letter, he inquired to what province 
Paul belonged, and said, "When thine accusers are come, I will 



256 



COMMENTARY ON 



then hear thee." He consigned Paul to Herod's Judgment 
Hall" for safe keeping. This was a palace built by Herod. 
In it there were probably, as were usual in such cases, dungeons 
for prisoners. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



A SAINT MAKING DEFENCE BEFORE THE CIVIL COURT. 

1 And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the 
elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the 
governor against Paul. 

2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, 
saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very 
worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, 

3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with 
all thankfulness. 

4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray 
thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. 

5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover 
of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader 
of the sect of the Nazarenes : 

6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple : whom we 
took, and would have judged according to our law. 

7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great vio- 
lence took him away out of our hands, 

8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee : by examining of 
whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we 
accuse him. 

9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. 

10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to 
speak, answered. Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many 
years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for 
myself : 

11 Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but 
twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. 

12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any 
man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in 
the city : 

13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. 

14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they 
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things 
which are written in the law and in the prophets : 

15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, 
that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and 
unjust. 



257 



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COMMENTARY ON 



16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience 
void of offence toward God, and toward men. 

17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and 
offerings. 

18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the 
temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. 

19 Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they 
had ought against me. 

20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil 
doing in me, while I stood before the council, 

21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among 
them. Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question 
by you this day. 

22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowl- 
edge of that way, he deferred them, and said. When Lysias the chief 
captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. 

23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him 
have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to 
minister or come unto him. 

24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, 
which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the 
faith in Christ. 

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judg- 
ment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thjj way for this time ; 
when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 

26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, 
that he might loose him : wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and 
communed with him. 

27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room : and 
Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. 

It is the privilege of the saints when brought before civil 
magistrates to make their defence. Jesus taught this. Paul 
practiced it. Jesus told his preachers that the Holy Spirit would 
help them in so doing. 

On the fifth day from Paul's departure from Jerusalem, his 
vindictive enemies appeared, to further prosecute the case against 
him. Ananias, the high priest, and the Jewish elders appeared 
against him bringing their lawyer, whose name was Tertullus, 
to conduct the case. It will be seen at once that Paul was no 
ordinary man ' ^3y would not have been at so much pains to 
secure an attorney to prosecute the case. They had no one among 
them whom they considered competent to conduct the ease. So 
they hired this Eoman lawyer. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



259 



The lawyer or advocate began by flattering Felix. Then he 
made three charges against Paul. 1. That he caused factions and 
seisms among the Jews — ' ' A mover of sedition. ' ' 2. That he was 
a ringleader among the Jews. This was no crime against the 
Roman government. It was charged as against the laws of the 
Jews. 3. That he had attempted to profane the temple. This 
was an offense against the Jewish and Eoman law both; as the 
Eomans undertook to protect the Jews in their worship. Ter- 
tuUus then proceeds to misrepresent the facts. Instead of stating 
that Lysias had rescued him from a mob, he stated that he had 
been legally arrested while disturbing the peace. Tertullus refers 
to no witnesses or evidence to prove his case. Paul shows this 
omission in verses 17-21. When did truth ever have a fair chance 
among sinful men, since the days that Jesus was condemned? 

The defence of Paul answers the above charges of Tertullus 
in detail. In verses 11-13 he denies the charge of sedition or 
seism and demands the proof. As regards the charge of false doc- 
trine, he admits that he is a member of the sect of Nazarenes, 
but aflfirms that their doctrine is in accordance with the law and 
the prophets. He declares that his great endeavor in life is 
to live right in the sight of God and man. In other words he 
had hope towards God and no immoral relation towards man. As 
regards the third charge he declares that he has not violated the 
temple — no one had found him there doing anything contrary to 
the law. The Asiatic Jews who made the false accusation should 
have been there ''to object if they had anything against me" — 
and to testify. But they did not come. There was no testimony 
against him. The accusation broke down with its own weight. 
Tertullus began his address with flattery of Felix. Paul began 
his defence, not with flattery but expressing a ground of con- 
fidence in the issue because Felix so well understood the religious 
views of the Jews. 

There was nothing to be said in reply to Paul's defence. The 
prosecution had nothing they could prove for lack of witnesses. 
The sequel shows that Felix really decided in favor of Paul, but 
to show the Jews a favor he said when the chief captain, Lysias, 
came he would understand better how to decide the matter. But 
Lysias never came. Paul was kept in easy confinement at Caes- 



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area, with permission to see and receive favors from his friends 
vsrhenever he desired. Paul had good opportunity to teach the 
things of the kingdom during his stay at Caesarea. Thus for two 
years Caesarea became a center of gospel light and power. 

After a short time Paul had opportunity to preach a very 
plain, practical sermon to Felix himself and his paramour. He 
had really preached to Felix concerning the Eesurrection in his 
defence (Vs. 15). But now he finds opportunity to preach to 
him concerning his own needs. Felix sent with his wife Drusilla 
for Paul to tell him more about the doctrine of Christ. Drusilla 
was a Jewish princess who had left her husband, the king of 
Emesa, to live with Felix. Being a Jewess, and daughter of 
Herod Agrippa I, she was doubtless curious to know about this 
new faith. Never was the adroitness of Paul shown to better ad- 
vantage than in this sermon. He expounded the whole system 
of Christianity, and summed up in a very appropriate applica- 
tion to this couple. ^'Before him sat an unjust judge — a cruel, 
rapacious governor. To him he discourses about righteousness, 
i. e., 'Tightness, justice in thought, word, and deed, toward all — 
toward God and man.' To a Eoman libertine noble and a profli- 
gate Jewess princess he expounds the gospel of purity. And upon 
both, self-condemned by conscience, he presses the fearful fact 
of a judgment to come, which each must meet. Yet this Christian 
apostle makes no personal charge, utters no personal denunciation. 
He only leaves the truth to work in the soul. Hence no anger 
was stirred against Paul in the breast of Felix. The fear awak- 
ened in him was wrought not by Paul, but by the Holy Ghost 
through the truth. The object as well as the cause, of his dread 
was the divine law and the divine Judge now so vividly dis- 
closed by the apostle. That Felix was alarmed showed that he 
was not past feeling, nor dead to the appeal of saving truth. In 
his alarm we see sure evidence of the convincing power of the 
Holy Ghost, reproving of sin, or righteousness, and of judgment." 
(Butler.) Felix became alarmed and said, ''Go thy way for this 
time." As some one says, "he sent away the preacher but did 
not send away the sin. ' ' He said also when I have a more con- 
venient season I will call for thee. ' ' He meant that some time 
he would hear more of the matter. A good many people dismiss 



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261 



their convictions in like manner. He had hoped that Paul would 
have bribed him to let him go. But Paul would not take a dis- 
honest method of obtaining his freedom which justly was his. 
We must not take unlawful means to accomplish lawful ends. 

In the following jear, the city of Caesarea where Paul was 
kept a prisoner was the scene of one of the frequent and frightful 
tumults between the Jews and Syrian Greeks A. D. 59. Felix 
was denounced to the emperor for either ordering or conniving 
at a massacre of the Jews, and he was recalled to answer for his 
conduct. Porcius Festus was appointed to take his place. So 
Paul was left in the custody of Festus, 



CHAPTER XXV. 



A SAINT MAKING HIS DEFENCE. 

I Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days 
he ascended from Csesarea to Jerusalem. 

2. Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him 
against Paul, and besought him, 

3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to 
Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. 

4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Csesarea, and 
that he himself would depart shortly thither. 

5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down 
with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. 

6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he 
went down unto Caesarea ; and the next day sitting on the judgment 
seat commanded Paul to be brought. 

7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jeru- 
salem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against 
Paul, which they could not prove. 

8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the 
Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I of- 
fended any thing at all. 

9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, 
and said. Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these 
things before me? 

10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I 
ought to be judged : to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very 
well knowest. 

II For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy 
of death, I refuse not to die : but if there be none of these things where- 
of these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto 
Caesar. 

12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, 
Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. 

13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto 
Caesarea to salute Festus. 

14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared 
Paul's cause unto the king, saying. There is a certain man left in 
bonds by Felix : 

15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and 
the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against 
him. 



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16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to 
deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the ac- 
cusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning 
the crime laid against him. 

17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on 
the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be' 
brought forth. 

18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none 
accusation of such things as I supposed : 

19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, 
and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 

20 And because I doubted of such manner' of questions, I asked 
Mm whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these 
matters. 

21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing 
of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to 
Csesar. 

22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man 
myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 

23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, 
with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the 
chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment 
Paul was brought forth. 

24 And Festus said. King) Agrippa, and all men which are here 
present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the 
Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that 
he ought not to live any longer. 

25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of 
death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have deter- 
mined to send him. 

20 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Where- 
fore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, 
O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat 
to write. 

27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not 
withal to signify the crimes laid against him. 

This is the account of Paul making his second defence, before 
civil authorities. It was illegal to try a man the second time 
for the same offense, who had not been found guilty the first' time. 
But what does a carnal church of a wicked world care for justice 
when they are fighting the truth! In all he was called upon to 
defend himself four times: first before the mob at Jerusalem 
(Acts 22); before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23) ; before Felix 
(Acts 24) and now before Festus. Lyman Abbott says of Festus, 



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265 



''The latter does not do full justice to Paul, but, making due 
allowance for the times and the ordinary course of Eoman gov- 
ernors, his course is relatively commendable though not worthy of 
admiration. The general lesson of these chapters as scarcely 
noticed by the commentators is the apostolic example of the spirit 
with which the Christian should meet the false accusation, resist- 
ing palpable injustice by meekness without weakness, and dignity 
without pride or wrath, and making even the wrong-doing of 
his enemies aad those of his Lord, an occasion of preaching the 
gospel. No words can add to the moral power of the simple 
contrast of Paul, the Christian prisoner, Festus, the cold and 
skeptical Eoman, and Agrippa, the ambitious, lustful and scornful 
man of the world." 

The emperor Nero sent Porcius Festus to succeed Felix, about 
A. D. 60. After he had been in Caesarea, his headquarters, 
about three days, he went up to Jerusalem to confer with the 
Jewish authorities. Although two years had intervened the ene- 
mies of Paul were just as bitter as ever. They asked Festus 
if he would noH send Paul up to Jerusalem, so they could lay 
an ambush for him and kill him on the way. But Festus replied 
that Paul would be kept at Caesarea. Later he gave his reason 
(See verse 16). He probably would have complied with their 
request later, if Paul had not appealed to Caesar. (See verse 9.) 

He remained in Jerusalem ten days and on his return had 
Paul brought before him to face his bitter enemies, the Jews, 
who had again come from Jerusalem to accuse him. They made 
"many and grievous complaints against Paul but they were the 
same old charges that had been brought forward, in the trial 
before Felix. And none of them was proved. 

Festus like Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor and he asked 
Paul if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and face the charges 
there. This was the very request of the Jews that he had refused. 
("Vs. 3.) But Paul stood upon his rights as a Roman citizen 
and refused to go. He declared he ought to be judged as a Roman 
citizen. So he appealed to Caesar. This settled the question for 
all parties. It took the case out of the hands of the Jews and 
Festus too. It relieved Festus of the necessity of holding him 
to please the Jews. It insured Paul's life and it gave him the 



266 



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privilege of paying his expected visit to Eome. He had wanted 
to go, and now his enemies send him there without expense to 
himself. He had already been tried in a Roman court and could 
not be sent to the Jewish court without his own consent. Paul 
knew something about the law. It pays a preacher to know 
some things besides his profession. 

See the nobility of Paul's answer: ''I am standing at the 
judgment seat of Caesar (all Roman emperors were called Caesar) 
where I ought to be judged," if anywhere. I have wronged none 
of the Jews. You know better than to think so. If I have 
wronged any one I do not ask to have my life spared. But if 
their charges are untrue, I should not be sacrificed to them. This 
is the spirit and meaning of Paul's reply. He does not propose 
to be a sacrifice for Festus to offer, to gain favor with the Jews. 
What courage and dignity Paul showed, as a servant of God, he 
knew he had the divine protection. As a citizen of Rome he 
knew he had the protection of the Roman government. So Festus 
confers with his council and decides to send Paul to Rome: God 
has a way of making his enemies sometimes pay the traveling 
expenses of his ambassadors. 

About this time Herod Agrippa and Bernice his sister visited 
Festus. This was Herod Agrippa II. He was only seventeen 
years of age when his father, Herod Agrippa I, died, and the 
Roman emperor made his youth an excuse for not giving him the 
kingdom. The emperor, however, gave him the kingdom of 
Calchis, vacant by the death of his uncle Herod. He lived in 
such relations with his sister Bernice as to create great scandal. 
Festus would naturally tell Agrippa about his perplexing presence, 
and it was natural that Agrippa should desire to hear Paul. So 
Paul was led into an assembly of the noblest Jews and Romans, 
with Agrippa, Bernice and Festus and the governor. Festus 
made a statement of the facts and then Paul was permitted to 
speak for himself. * ' Paul, we remember, had volunteered his 
defence or story before the Jewish mob in the temple area. He 
had asserted his pure and truthful life, and afi&rmed his hope 
of resurrection, before the whole Sanhedrim. He had made a 
formal defence against formal charges before Felix; and he 
had summarily repeated this defence against summary charges 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



267 



before Festus. Still another, the fifth and last statement he now 
makes before the Jewish king and high Roman officials. All these 
addresses and the history out of which they grew, have come to 
generations of Christian believers in every age and nation. They 
have helped to enlarge our estimate of the man, and to expound 
more fully the recorded truths of his grand epistles." (Butler.) 

When men begin to persecute others they often get into a 
predicament themselves. Festus had kept Paul a prisoner for 
two years and now when he must send him to the emperor at Rome 
he must send the written charges and he did not know what 
they were, after keeping a man prisoner for two years. It was 
quite time to set him at liberty if he had no charges to bring. 
Festus realized he was in an awkward situation himself. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



PAUL'S DEFENCE COMPLETED. 

1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak tor 
thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself : 

2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for 
myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am 
accused of the Jews : 

3 Especially hecause I know thee to be expert in all customs and 
questions which are among the Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to hear 
me patiently. 

4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among 
mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews ; 

5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that 
after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 

6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise 
made of God unto our fathers : 

7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving Ood 
day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, 
I am accused of the Jews. 

8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God 
should raise the dead? 

9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things 
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

10 Which thing I also did In Jerusalem : and many of the saints 
did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief prests ; 
and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 

11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled 
them to blaspheme ; and being exceedingly mad against them, I perse- 
cuted them even unto strange cities. 

12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and com- 
mission from the chief priests, 

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, 
above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them 
which journeyed with me. 

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice 
speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why 
persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

15 And I said, Who art thou. Lord? And he said, I am Jesus 
whom thou persecutest. 

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet : for I have appeared unto 



269 



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thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of 
these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which 
I will appear unto thee ; 

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto 
whom now I send thee, 

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, 
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgive- 
ness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith 
that is in me. 

19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the 
heavenly vision : 

20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, 
and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that 
they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 

21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went 
about to kill me. 

22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this 
day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than 
those which the prophets and Moses did say should come : 

23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that 
should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and 
to the Gentiles. 

24 And as he thus spake for himself Festus said with a loud 
voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself ; much learning doth make thee mad. 

25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus ; but speak forth 
the words of truth and soberness. 

26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I 
speak freely : for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden 
from him ; for this thing was not done in a corner. 

27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou 
believest. 

28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to 
be a Christian. 

29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also 
all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as 
I am, except these bonds. 

30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the 
governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them : 

31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, 
saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 

32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set 
at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar. 

Paul had been tried since the mob in the temple, by the San- 
hedrim, the chief captain, Lysias, Felix, and Festus. Once more 
he is arraigned. This time he speaks before King Agrippa, and 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



271 



then the case is completed as far as we have any definite account. 
He still must be brought before the emperor himself, at Eome. 
We have no account of that trial except that he was tried once, 
and remanded back to prison (2 Tim. 4:16). Tradition says his 
second trial resulted in his being beheaded. But God made the 
vindictiveness of his enemies work for good. So thorough was 
his examination and by so many different authorities that it made 
his exoneration complete. More than that, it gave him splendid 
opportunities to bring the gospel and its claims before people 
who otherwise would not have heard it. It gave him time to 
write some of his greatest epistles, which have been more helpful 
in moulding the theology and religious thought of the church than 
anything ever written. 

He begins his speech before Agrippa, by expressing his satis- 
faction in being permitted to state his case to one, who knew 
all about the religion of the Jews and hence would understand 
the points of difference between him and the Jews, Festus and 
Felix being Eomans could not so well understand these religious 
differences. 

He proceeds to show that as a true Israelite he had been con- 
sistent. By his speech we must believe he had been a man of con- 
siderable reputation before his conversion for he says, ''My man- 
ner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine 
own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews." Undoubtedly that 
was true, a scholar of the celebrated Oamaliel, a man of such 
ability and such a zealous leader in the persecution of Christians 
must have been well known. 

He falls back on his experience. His experience was his excuse 
for his conduct. And when we remember that God was the prime 
mover in his experience, wonderfully convicting, gloriously regen- 
erating and filling his soul with Himself, it was sufficient justifica- 
tion of his course. That had been done for his soul which only 
God could do. He had been brought up a strict Pharisee, believ- 
ing in and hoping like the other Jews, for the Messiah. And 
he had found the Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth, whom Grod had 
proved to be the Messiah by raising him from the dead. He then 
asks Agrippa why it should seem incredible for Almighty God 
to raise the dead. Could he not do it? did he not have the power 



272 



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to do it? After all, God had done for Israel in the past cen- 
turies, is it too much to believe that he could raise Jesus from 
the dead? When anyone denies that God can save from sin, we 
can ask nearly the same question. Can not God do it? 

He tells of his sincerity in persecuting the saints in Jerusalem. 
He really thought he ought to do it. His conscience justified him 
in opposing Christ. He said he gave his voice against the saints. 
''Literally, I cast my pebhle, i. e., my vote. In voting in ancient 
times, small round pebbles were used, the white for acquittal, 
the black for condemnation. The language here clearly implies 
that Paul had at that time a position that entitled him to vote 
in the tribunal before which Christians were brought for trial: 
and as the Jewish law allowed the infliction of the death sentence 
only by the Sanhedrim, the conclusion has been generally drawn 
that he was a member of that court. In that case he was, accord- 
ing to Eabbinical rules, at least thirty years of age at that time. ' ' 
(Abbott.) 

He says even worse things than that of himself, "I compelled 
them to blaspheme." He made them not only give up their hope 
and faith in Christ but even speak against him and his religion. 
More than that he was "exceedingly mad against them." Here 
we have an illustration of depravity working in an unrenewed 
man who was seeking to be conscientious. While he thought he 
was doing God's service, pride and ill will were working in his 
heart to such an extent, that they clouded his judgment. We see 
here that a man who is exceedingly bitter against the truth is not 
a hopeless case, for right in the midst of his wicked opposition 
Jesus struck him with conviction. Similar cases have been known. 
No doubt the Lord let him go on thus for a time, even to the 
limit, so that his conversion might not only be marvelous, but 
might seem to the world to be a marvelous change such as only 
divine power could accomplish. He even persecuted them to 
strange cities. He had such a bitteriiess that he wished not 
merely to banish Christianity from Jerusalem, but to wipe it off 
the face of the earth. "Nowhere throughout the sacred annals is 
the power of divine grace over the sinful heart so fully shown as 
in his sudden change from a self-righteous, fanatical persecutor 
of Jesus and Christians to a humble, self-sacrificing servant of 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



273 



Christ and his church; nor is it easy to see how an honest in- 
quirer can resist a fact so confirmatorv of the gospel and the open 
advocacy of its faith by the most logical, accomplished and deter- 
mined spirit that ever battled on the side of its enemies." 
(Bethune.) 

So he started on the road to Damascus with a ^ ^ comTrdssifyii 
from the chief priests" to wipe out the church of Jesus, he left 
Damascus later with another commission from Jesus, the head of 
the Christian church, to preach this despised gospel. What a 
transformation! At mid day when the Syrian sun was shining 
with its fierce beams upon the hot sands of the desert, he got 
a sun-stroke from another, more powerful sun — the Sun of Right- 
eousness. A light shone upon him from heaven even brighter 
than the natural sun. The reader should read Luke's account of 
this occurrence in connection (Acts 9:1-9) with this account. Paul 
tells us here some things that Luke did not mention in Chapter 
9. Jesus told him he had appeared to commission him to two 
offices — "A minister (servant) and a witness." In other words 
he was to be his servant and testify to his experience. How well 
he did this may be seen in the fact that he always testified wher- 
ever he could, especially when on trial for his life. All preachers 
ought to be witnesses. Testimony to experience is a vanishing 
quantity in the modern pulpit. No man ought to be allowed to 
preach who has no experience; nor permitted to preach longer 
when he has ceased testifying. 

Jesus then commissions this man as a minister and witness" 
to the Gentiles. His commission included four points. 1. En- 
lightenment. He was to enlighten the Gentiles. How he did 
and how well he did it can be seen in his masterly sermons at 
Lystra (Chapter 14:15-17) and at Athens (Acts 17:22-31). These 
are models for missionaries to the heathen of today. God intends 
every preacher shall be an illuminator. If he is faithful in prayer 
and the use of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit will make him a 
means of enlightening dark understandings. 2. Conversion. God 
gives faithful preachers the power to convert men — ' ' turn them 
from darkness unto light. ' ' The Holy Spirit regenerates man 
converts. We must not be confused at the technical meaning of 
the word ' * conversion. ' ' We have come to mean by it, that which 



274 



COMMENTARY ON 



comes in the experience of the soul when we say he is "eon- 
verted. ' ' We mean he has become converted, that is he is regen- 
erated, and justified. But conversion strictly speaking is to turn 
about. We can turn people by our persuasion, or convert them, 
so they will seek God for the pardon of their sins and regeneration 
of their nature. Man converts, God pardons and regenerates. 
Notice man by nature is in darkness. He is depraved. When he 
is converted God translates him out of the kingdom of dark- 
ness ' ' into the light of ' ' the kingdom of his dear Son. " It is 
a change as radical as stepping out of darkness into light. We 
note still further that the unsaved man is under * Hhe power of 
Satan," before he is brought ''to God." The new ''liberal" 
theology, invading some of the pulpits of today, teaches that man 
has a good part in him, that needs cultivation. He needs only 
evolution or culture; he is now a child of God. All he needs is 
to recognize the divine Fatherhood. This is not Paul's scheme 
of theology. He says Jesus told him to turn men from "the 
power ol Satan. ' ' This is the human side of our ministry. Note 
we have the two divine acts — that they may receive (3) forgive- 
ness of sins. This is for acts committed. God forgives acts, 
never states of heart. Justification takes away the guilt of our 
sins, but does not cleanse the heart from the sinfulness. 4. "In- 
heritance among them that are sanctified. ' ' This is parallel to his 
utterance to the Collosians, whom he says of Jesus, he ' ' hath made 
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. ' ' 
Comparing the two passages we see that the inheritance here 
spoken of is heaven. An inheritance is only for heirs. We be- 
come heirs by being born of God. But we do not enter into our 
inheritance until we are fitted for it by being wholly sanctified. 
Justification or pardon gives us the title and sanctifieation gives 
us the fitness. If we refuse to obtain the fitness, by being sancti- 
fied, we will lose the title, because of our disobedience. 

Notice again that Jesus told him the sanctified, "are sanctified 
by faith which is in me." There has been false teaching on the 
method by which we are sanctified. Some assert it is by growth 
or evolution. But Jesus told Paul that it was by faith — faith in 
Jesus. The only passages of Scripture that teach lis how we may 
he sanctified, declare that it is hy faith in Jesus. (See Acts 15:9.) 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 276 

And yet some professed Christians will risk their fitness for 
Beaven on a theory of growth which has no scriptural authority. 

Every true preacher as well is eaUed to this two-fold ministry, 
that men may receive forgiveness of sins and sanctification by 
faith. Both justification and sanctification are by faith. 

Paul never rebelled at the call. How many have refused the 
call to preach. But he "was not disobedient to the heavenly 
vision. ' ' He began right away to preach right in Damascus, 
teaching the Gentiles there, exactly the same doctrine that John 
the Baptist preached to the Jews: 1. That they should repent, 
i. e., change their minds in regard to sin. 2. Turn from sin to 
God. 3. Do works meet for repentance. (See our notes on Acts 
2:38.) And so he tells his hearers he had been doing ever since. 
It was twenty-four years since he began to preach. And these 
were the causes why the Jews caught him in the temple and sought 
to kill him, when he had been preaching nothing except what was 
in accordance with Moses and the prophets. 

"He now goes farther and specifies what the truths that he 
preached were in accordance with that part of the Old Testament 
called Moses and the Prophets ; for Paul was a scriptural preacher. 
These truths were four, 1. Christ should suffer. 2. He should be 
the first to rise from the dead. 3. He should show light to the 
Jews. 4. He should give light to the Gentiles also. These weie 
just the points of doctrine most disagreeable to the Jews, ' ' There 
was never any one that understood the Old Testament so well as 
Paul except John the Baptist and John the Divine. He dearly 
loved Moses and Isaiah, for they, together with King David, were 
the chief prophets. The words and things of Paul are taken out 
of Moses and the Prophets." (Luther.) 

Festus, a heathen, could have no idea of what Paul had been 
talking about. But when the latter afiS.rmed the resurrection of 
the dead, he thought he saw fanaticism and he broke in on the 
sermon saying, "Paul thou art beside thyself. Much learning 
doth make thee mad. ' ' No doubt he thought these allusions to 
the Book of Moses and the Prophets indicated that Paul had 
studied them so much as to turn his brain and believe that the 
dead could be raised. Paul immediately appealed to King Agrippa 
as one who knew the current events connected with the history of 



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Jesus Christ. "King Agrippa believest thou the prophets? I 
know that thou believest. ' ' He had been referring to the truths 
which he brought as in accordance with the prophets. Festus 
thought these truths were fanaticism. So Paul appeals to the 
king to prove that these truths were in the Book of Moses and 
the Prophets. 

Paul said truly ' ' These things were not done in a corner. ' ' 
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and spread of the 
gospel, were all conspicuous facts before the world. No history- 
is so well authenticated. We have a very large number of heathen 
writers who confirm these accounts — Tacitus, Suetonius, Juvenal, 
Pliny, Trajan, Adrian and others. ''These classic writers compel 
even those who set no value on the historical Christ to admit his 
existence; they give a definite starting point to the religion which 
otherwise might have been declared to have no historical founda- 
tion at all, but to be purely and absolutely mythical; they furnish, 
taken by themselves, no unimportant argument for the truth of 
the religion, which they prove to have been propagated with such 
zeal, by persons of pure and holy lives in spite of the punishments 
and persecutions of the most cruel kind. ' ' 

Agrippa replied to Paul's appeal, "Almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian. ' ' This was doubtless said sarcastically, 
for the word Christian was very unpopular at that time. Some 
translate it, "In a little measure thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian," and with Paul's reply the scene ends. The assembly 
broke up, leaving Paul in bonds, waiting to be carried as prisoner 
to Bome. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



HOLY PEOPLE ARE UNDER DIVINE CARE. 

1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they 
delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a 
centurion of Augustus' band. 

2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning 
to sail by the coasts of Asia ; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thes- 
salonica, being with us. 

3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously 
entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh 
himself. 

4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, 
because the winds were contrary. 

5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, 
we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 

6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into 
Italy ; and he put us therein. 

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were 
come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under 
Crete, over against Salmone ; 

8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The 
fair havens ; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. 

9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now 
dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished 
them, 

10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be 
with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also 
of our lives. 

11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner 
of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 

12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the 
more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might 
attain to Phenice, and there to winter ; which is an haven of Crete, 
and lieth toward the south west and north west. 

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had 
obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 

14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, 
called Euroclydon. 

15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the 
wind, we let her drive. 



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16 And running under a certain island whlcli is called Clauda, 
we had much work to come by the boat : 

17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirdlng 
the ship ; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake 
sail, and so were driven. 

18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day - 
they lightened the ship ; 

19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling 
of the ship. 

20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and 
no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then 
taken away. 

21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of 
them, and said. Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have 
loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer : for there shall be 
no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I 
am, and whom I serve, 

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Cjesar : 
and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer : for I believe God, that it 
shall be even as it was told me. 

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 

27 But when the fourteenth night was' come, as we were driven 
up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they 
drew near to some country ; 

28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms : and when they 
had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen 
fathoms. 

29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast 
four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when 
they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they 
would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these 
abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her 
fall off. 

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to 
take meat, saying. This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried 
and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 

34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat : for this is for your 
health : for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 

33 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks 
to God in presence of them all : and when he had broken it, he began 
to eat. 



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279 



36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some 
meat. 

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and 
sixteen souls. 

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and 
cast out the wheat into the sea. 

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land : but they dis- 
covered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, 
if It were possible, to thrust in the ship. 

40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed 
themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up 
the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 

41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the 
ship aground ; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, 
but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of 
them should swim out, and escape. 

43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their 
purpose ; and commanded that they which could swim should cast 
themselves first into the sea, and get to land : 

44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on hroken pieces of the 
ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. 

Felix, Festus and Agrippa had heard Paul's story from his 
own lips and had no condemnation to pronounce. They were more 
merciful than the apostate church at Jerusalem. As Festus said, 
''this man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed 
to Caesar." But he had appealed to Caesar and he must go to 
Home and be tried in the imperial court. He had wanted to go 
to Eome and had promised the church there, that he would visit 
them some time. But when he did go he went in a different 
manner from what he expected — a prisoner and like his Lord, 
numbered with transgressors, for other prisoners also went with 
them. It is evident that Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, 
went with them, for he says in verse 7, ''when it was determined 
that we should sail into Italy. ' ' They sailed from Caesarea north 
along the coast touching at Sidon and Myra, then they changed 
ships and took a ship bound for Italy and launched out due west 
towards Italy. Paul was very kindly treated by Julius, the cen- 
turion, who had charge of the guard. They made slow progress 
for the wind wras against them. 

Navigation is very difficult in the winter months in the Med- 

i 



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iterranean Sea. It was about the last of September or the first 
of October about the time for the autumnal equinoctial storm. 
We know this because verse 9 says ''the fast was already past." 
He refers here to the fast of expiation (Lev. 16:29) which was 
held the 10th of the month, Tisri, corresponding nearly with our 
October. 

They had come to a place called Fair Havens on the south 
coast of the island of Crete. The question on account of the late- 
ness of the season was whether they should spend the winter in 
this imperfect harbor or try to make Phenice, forty miles distant 
and a better harbor further west and north on the same island. 
Paul admonished them not to take any risk (saying the ship 
would be wrecked, if they did), but remain in the harbor at 
Fair Havens. But the crew of the ship and the majority of the 
ship 's company wished to go to Phenice for the winter. The 
wind blew warm and summer like from the south, and supposing 
it was to be nice weather, they launched out from Fair Havens. 
But the warm summer like day was what we call a ''weather 
breeder." It was the lull before the storm. Very soon after 
they set sail a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon set in from 
the Northeast. Such winds today are called typhoons. They 
are full of eddys and whirls. Being unable to face it they were 
compelled to scud before it for twenty-three miles, until they 
came under the lee of a small island by the name of Clauda. It 
now became very difficult to haul in and take aboard the small 
boat towed at the stern. No doubt it was nearly full of win- 
ter. In order to keep the timbers of the ship together they un- 
dergirded the ship — passed cables around it. These cables were 
C€irried on ancient ships for that purpose, to be used in emer- 
gency. Then fearing the wind would throw them onto the quick 
sands on the north coast of Africa, they let down their sails, 
and so they were driven by the blast, yet a divine hand was 
guiding, for God had told Paul he should certainly testify of him 
at Rome (Acts 23: 11). There were not waves enough to sink that 
ship. God who watches over his children was taking care of 
Paul. "Not strnke suU. On the contrary a stern — sail must 
have been set. Exactly what was lowered is not clear: prob- 
ably that which was connected with fair weather sails. The 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



381 



language is nautical and accords with modern nautical phraseol- 
ogy. A ship similarly situated is said now to ' send down ' her top- 
masts, etc. If this ship had stroke sail and scud before the wind, 
she would have been driven on the quicksands, which were so 
much dreaded. What was undoubtedly done was this: under the 
lee of the island she was brought round, with her head to the 
gale, facing the north, or a little east of the north, so as to 
take the storm on her starboard or right quarter. The fair 
weather sails and spars were taken down, a storm sail was set, 
and she was then suffered to drift before the storm. In this 
position navigators calculate they were driven in a direction west 
by north at the rate of thirty-six miles in twenty-four hours. 
Thirteen days and a fraction of drifting in this direction and 
at this rate, would bring her to the island of Malta, and to that 
part of the island which tradition identifies with the scene of 
the shipwreck. In this respect therefore modern calculations 
exactly confirm the Scripture narrative." (Abbott.) 

For fourteen days they were thus driven and so tossed about 
that it was impossible to cook their food. They had cast out 
the cargo and the tackling of the ship in hopes to save it, and 
now despair had taken the place of hope. It was at this time 
that this holy man of God, came to the rescue of their fallen 
hopes. ISTow they saw they should have listened to him, and 
they gladly hear what he has to say. The world today will not 
heed the warning of the saints of God until it is too late. This 
company had reason to thank God that Paul and his company 
were on board. God spares nations and communities because of 
the presence of his saints among them. There is no good reason 
why he should keep this world in existence for another day if 
it were not for the righteous. "Except the Lord of hosts had 
left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom. ' ' 
(Isa. 1:9.) These are the salt and light of the world. Holy 
people are the world's best benefactors. 

What a sublime sight it was to see the prisoner encouraging 
his guards. Some one suggests he might have given them under 
divine inspiration the warning at Crete against sailing (Vs. 10) 
so that he could have their confidence and attention to his mes- 
sage in this hour of emergency. He told them to be of good 



282 



COMMENTAKY ON 



cheer because he believed God. Our degree of courage in time of 
disaster will be in proportion to our faith. His encouragement 
to trust God had a twofold foundation: 1. His consecration to 
God — "Whose I am and whom I serve." Every one of us will 
meet our emergency, and dark and trying hour. There is noth- 
ing like entire consecration to inspire faith in God. Paul did 
not know where the ship was — in what part of the Mediterranean 
but God knew where he was. 2. The communication of the 
angel. But the angel of the Lord knew where Paul was. This 
still farther inspired his confidence. He tells them they will all 
be saved. It was not his opinion but he knew it. God had 
told him that he should testify in Rome and the same God rules 
the winds and waves. ''Under that dark sky, and in that 
hopelessly drifting ship there appeared the light of joy and 
life; for it held no Jonah fleeing from duty, but a Paul bound 
in spirit to testify for God at Rome also." Paul did not, like 
Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, still the waves and winds, but he 
stilled the fears of the others. It is our duty if we have faith 
to inspire the courage and faith of others. 

About midnight the sailors thought they were drawing near 
to land. Doubtless they began to hear the sound of breakers. 
They sounded and found it twenty fathoms. Modern soundings 
find it exactly as the account has it here. Then it grew shallower 
and so they threw out four anchors from the stern. This shows 
they were good sailors even in those days. ''Ordinarily, anchor- 
ing in ancient as in modern navigation, was from the bow; but 
the ancient ships possessed hawser holes aft; there was there- 
fore, nothing to prevent anchoring from the stern; and there 
were two reasons for so doing: (1) the fear of swinging round 
and falling on the rocks leeward; (2) the purpose of running 
the ship ashore as soon as daylight enabled them to select a 
place for this purpose. In the naval battle of Copenhagen, the 
English ships anchored thus from the stern, and it is stated, by 
some writers that Nelson stated after the battle that he had been 
reading the twenty-seventh chapter of Acts that morning." How 
anxious they were for the morning light. They "wished for the 
day," for the danger was great, the shore was very rocky. 

The sailors launchecj the boat, pretending that they were going 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



283 



to carry the anchors out as far as they were lowered, but really 
intending to desert the ship. Paul saw into their design and 
said : ^ ' Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved. ' ' He 
knew the seamen would be needed to manage the ship. Their 
selfishness would have ruined everything. God would have saved 
Paul if they had gone, but not necessarily the rest, for God had 
promised to get Paul to Kome. 

Paul then urged them to partake of food. They had not 
had regular meals for two weeks. They needed strength for the 
casting out of the cargo (Vs. 32). So he took bread and gave 
thanks. He did not omit asking the blessing even in this time 
of dire need. This should teach us the importance of having it 
a regular habit before our meals. He thus taught these heathen 
the lesson that we are dependent upon God for our food and 
ought to show gratitude. 

This partaking of food strengthened them for the task of 
unloading the ship. It also brought good cheer, for physical 
nature rallies when food is taken, and that has a good deal to 
do with encouraging the spirits of men. Now the cargo being 
cast out, the ship was lightened so that it could get near the 
shore. It must have been a large ship to hold a cargo of wheat 
and two hundred and sixty people. ''From the ship having been 
pressed so long down on one side, the cargo had shifted so that 
the ship heeled to that side. To bring her upright, and enable 
her to be more accurately steered and navigated toward the land 
at daybreak, it would be useful to throw out as much wheat as 
time allowed." 

So they hoisted a sail when it became light and steered straight 
for land. The ship ran aground, the fore part struck in the 
mud and the waves lifting the stern broke the ship in two. 

The soldiers wished to kill the prisoners. But the centurion 
whose favor Paul had gained prevented it. God was still watch- 
ing over Paul. And so some in one way and some in another they 
all got ashore unharmed. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



THE PROPHECY OF JESUS AND THE PRAYER OF 
PAUL FULFILLED. 

1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island 
was called Melita. 

2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness : for they 
kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, 
and because of the cold. 

3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them 
on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his 
hand. 

4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his 
hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, 
whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not 
to live. 

5 And he shook ofE the beast into the fire, and felt- no harm. 

6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen 
down dead suddenly : but after they had looked a great while, and saw 
no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was 
a god. 

7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the 
Island, whose name was Publius ; who received us, and lodged us three 
days courteously. 

8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a 
fever and of a bloody flux : to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and 
laid his hands on him, and healed him. 

9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the 
island, came, and were healed : 

10 Who also honoured us with many honours ; and when we de- 
parted, they laded us with such things as were necessary. 

11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, 
which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. 

12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 

la And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium : 
and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to 
Puteoli : 

14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them 
seven days : and so we went toward Rome. 

15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to 



285 



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COMMENTARY ON 



meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns : whom when Paul 
saw, he thanked God, and took courage. 

16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the pris- 
oners to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suffered to dwell by 
himself with a soldier that kept him. 

17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief 
of the Jews together : and when they were come together, he said unto 
them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the 
people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from 
Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 

18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, be- 
cause there was no cause of death in me. 

19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal 
unto Caesar ; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. 

20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and 
to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound 
with this chain. 

21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of 
Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed 
or spake any harm of thee. 

22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest : for as con- 
cerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. 

23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to 
him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom 
of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of 
Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some 
believed not. 

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, 
after that Paul had spoken one word. Well spake the Holy Ghost by 
Esaias the prophet unto our fathers. 

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say. Hearing ye shall hear, 
and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive : 

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are 
dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest they should see 
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their 
heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is 
sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 

29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had 
great reasoning among themselves. 

30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and 
received all that came in unto him, 

31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which 
concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding 
Wm. 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



287 



Jesus had prophesied that his disciples should be filled with 
the Holv Spirit and should receive power to be witnesses to the 
uttermost parts of the earth. (Acts 1:8.) Paul had prayed to be 
allowed to go to Eome. Both the prophecy and prayer are ful- 
filled in this chapter. Paul reached Eome as a witness of Jesus 
Ciirist. 

On coming to shore they found that they were on the island 
of Melita. now called by the modern name of ]Malta. Luke 
calls the inhabitants, "barbarous." This was because they did 
not speak either the Greek or Latin language, the two great lan- 
guages of the world. These people were very kind in their hos- 
pitality. These people kindled a fire for the ship-wrecked com- 
pany to dry themselves, as it was raining. 

As Paul was gathering sticks to feed the fire a viper came 
out of the heat and fastened upon his hand. "VTe see here how 
prone mankind are to form hasty judgments. The barbarians 
thought that Paul must be a murderer, who had escaped the sea 
and now the gods had sent this viper to punish him. This was 
like the experience of Job. His "friends" thought his trou- 
bles were sent by G-od because of his sins. It is very easy to 
misjudge people, just from appearances. "This is the very 
bane of all natural religion — the idea of a connection between 
guilt and retribution. In some form or other it underlies all 
mythologies. The sleepless never-dying avenger of wrong; the 
Xemesis, who presides over retribution; the vengeance which 
suffereth not the murderer to live; the whips and scorpions of 
the Furies — it seems the first instinct of religion." (Eobertson.) 
"When Paul shook the venomous reptile off his hand into the fire, 
they changed their minds and thought him a serpent charmer, 
one to be worshipped as a god. Paul not only had supernatural 
power but he healed the father of the governor of the island, 
who was sick of fever. As the result the company of Paul were 
laden with honors. It will be noticed that like aU holy people 
Paul was a blessing, wherever he went; in the storm he was a 
blessing to the ship's company: on the island a blessing to the 
"barbarous" people. 

They remained on this island three months, and then find- 
ing a ship that was bound for Eome, they sailed in it, for Syra- 



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cuse, eighty miles distant, and then from Syracuse, touching at 
Ehegium, they kept on their way to Puteoli and landed for good. 
This was the last of Paul's voyages. Here they found Christian 
brethren, for the gospel had now spread so far, that nearly 
everywhere there were believers in Jesus. After tarrying with 
the brethren evidently with the permission of the centurion, Paul 
started towards Rome. The journey most of the way was by 
the famous Appian Way, the oldest and most noted of Roman 
roads. It was built three hundred years before Christ by the 
censor Appius Claudius. Upon a foundation of concrete, large 
blocks of basaltic lava were so closely fitted and cemented that 
they resembled a rock foundation. Besides the milestones mark- 
ing the whole distance post stations for relays of horses were 
established every twenty miles. ' * Five hundred years after Christ, 
notwithstanding the traffic of so many ages, the stones were not 
displaced, nor had they lost their original smoothness. ' ' 

By waiting at Puteoli, the brethren at Rome had time to 
hear about Paul's arrival and to come out to meet him, as far 
as Apii Pornm (or the Fonim of Appius), a small town, and The 
Three Taverns, a town ten miles farther. 

When Paul saw the brethren, he "thanked God and took 
courage. ' ' He thanked God to see these evidences that the gospel 
had its converts even in Rome, the home of the emperor, the capi- 
tal of the world. These brethren were the fruits of the gospel. 
We are intended for human sympathy and companionship. God 
said ' * it is not good for man to be alone. " ' ' How can we help 
being touched by such incidents as these? They set this great 
hero and champion of the faith before us as a man of like pas- 
sions as with ourselves. He feels as we should have felt. He 
is dejected and inspirited by the very causes that tell on us. Like 
us, he sees all things in 'lines borrowed from the heart.' God 
is not nearer to him nor more truly with him now he had reached 
Apii, Forum, or The Three Taverns than he was before; his 
chains have not been removed; the soldiers still surround and 
watch him, but he has met attached and pitying friends and 
his chains grew lighter, and their love deepens the sense of God's 
love within his soul." (Cox.) 

And so he came to Rome, which he had so long desired to 



THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 



289 



do, but not as he expected. He came as a prisoner, but yet 
he had the privilege of preaching the gospel, preaching in his 
own hired house, to his own countrymen for two years. Here he 
finished his course with joy" in spite of the fact that he was 
a prisoner. He believed it was in the will of divine providence 
and so refusing to be the emperor's prisoner he styled himself 
"the prisoner of Christ." Amen. 



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